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THE 



NCIENT TESTIMONY 



OP THE 



RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS, 



COMMONLY CALLED QUAKERS, 



BPECTING SOME OF THEIR CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES ANT) 
PRACTICES. 



;^f. TT^vV\^d« 



THE 

ANCIENT TESTIMONY 



RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS, 



COMMONLY CALLED QUAKERS, 



RESPECTING SOME OF THEIR CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES AND 
PRACTICES. 



REVIVED AND GIVEN FORTH BY THE YEARLY MEETING, 
Held in Philadelphia in the Fourth Month, 1843, 



PfHLADELPHIA: 

PRINTED BY JOSEPH RAKESTRAW. 
1843. 



CONTENTS. 



Introductory Remarks, 5 

Of the One true God, &c .12 

Of Divine Revelation, 18 

Of the fallen State of Man, ....... 33 

Of the Universality of the Light of Christ, . . 36 

Of the Holy Scriptures, 41 

Of Justification, 50 

Of Baptism and the Supper, 58 

Divine Worship, 62 

Ministry, 64 

Prayer, 66 

War, 68 

Slavery, 71 

Trade and living, 73 

Parents and Children, 77 

Conclusion, 81 



At a Yearly Meeting held in Philadelphia , hy adjournments, 
from the 11th of the Fourth months to the 22nd of the same, 
inclusive, 1843, — 

The Meeting for Sufferings having been brought under 
much exercise, on account of the attempts of the enemy of all 
righteousness to lay waste some of the principles and testimonies 
of our Religious Society, as set forth in the Writiiigs of our 
early Friends, particularly in the Apology for the true Christian 
Divinity, written by Robert Barclay, — a work with which we 
have divers times declared our unity ; they have prepared and 
produced to this Meeting, an address to our members, reviving 
those Christian doctrines, and some of the practices of our anci- 
ent Friends, which having been read, and time spent in solidly 
deliberating upon its important contents, it was united with by 
this Meeting, and the Clerk is directed to sign it on our behalf. 
The Meeting for Sufferings is authorized to print such number 
as they may deem proper, for general circulation amongst our 
members and others. 



THE 



ANCIENT TESTIMONY 



OF THE 



RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 



In taking a view of the state of our religious So- 
ciety, and of the great unsettlement which prevails 
in the world, in regard to various subjects of a reli- 
gious and moral character, we have been brought 
under feelings of earnest and affectionate solicitude, 
on behalf of our beloved brethren and sisters ; and 
agreeably to our ancient practice, are religiously en- 
gaged to address them. 

We feel a fervent desire, that by humbly seeking 
for and following the leadings of Christ Jesus, the 
Shepherd and Bishop of souls, we may all experi- 
ence preservation from the many dangers and temp- 
tations which abound in this day of shaking and 
commotion, and witness an establishment upon that 
Rock which cannot be moved, and which has been 
the unfailing refuge and support of the righteous in 
every generation. 

We are persuaded that this is the only ground of 
presdff'vation and of safety. It is not in the power 
of any man, whatever may.be his intellectual endow- 
ments, or his acquired knowledge, to withstand, by 
his own efforts, the force of temptation, or to direct 

2 



6 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OF 

his steps safely through the difficulties and dangers 
which attend his earthly pilgrimage. It is only as 
we " trust in the Lord with all our hearts, and lean 
not to our own understanding," that we shall be ena- 
bled, through the inshining of the light of Christ 
Jesus, to detect the various snares which the enemy 
of man's happiness is insidiously laying for our en- 
tanglement, and be endued with strength and wisdom 
to escape them. 

Under the guidance of this divine Light, the holy 
ancients in all ages were enabled to overcome the 
wicked one, and to obtain a good report as those that 
pleased God. It was this that separated our w^orthy 
predecessors from the corrupt manners, friendships 
and religions of the world ; led them ill the way of 
the daily cross and self-denial, and made them living 
witnesses of the power and coming of the Lord 
Jesus. Through its immediate discoveries, they were 
given to see the emptiness of an outside religion — rest- 
ing in a profession of truths which, though good in 
themselves, were not livingly and practically expe- 
rienced ; by it, they were released from those forms 
and ceremonies imposed by the will and wisdom of 
man in this glorious gospel day, which is a dispen- 
sation of life and substance, not of types and shadows; 
and were constrained to bear a constant testimony to 
the necessity of resisting and overcoming sin in all 
its motions ; and of witnessing the inward life of right- 
eousness begun, carried on and perfected in the soul, 
by the immediate manifestation of the power and spirit 
of Christ Jesus, as the only solid foundation for the 
hope of everlasting life and happiness. 

We beHeve that a loud and solemn call is renew 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 7 

edly extended to the members of our religious Society, 
to come up fully and unreservedly in the belief and 
observance of those spiritual doctrines and holy practi- 
ces, which conspicuously distinguished our honourable 
predecessors ; that being brought more entirely under 
the government of the Spirit of the Lord, the source 
of all saving knowledge, we may really be taught of 
God the things which belong to the soul's salvation, 
and humbly and steadfastly walking in the light, may 
have true fellowship one with another, and know the 
blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse us from all sin. 

The present is a period wherein we apprehend the 
enemy of souls is busily at work, endeavouring, with 
all the deceivableness of unrighteousness, to beguile 
the unwary, and to draw us away from a steadfast 
adherence to those doctrines and practices into which 
our primitive Friends were thus divinely led ; in order, 
if possible, to frustrate the work of regeneration in 
individuals, and to hinder the spread of those princi- 
ples and testimonies which, we believe, we were raised 
up as a people, to uphold and promulgate in the earth. 

The doctrine of the immediate manifestation of 
the Holy Spirit in the soul of man, and the necessity 
of submission to his renewing and transforming power 
there, by which sin is effectually withstood and over- 
come, and Christ faithfully followed in all his requir- 
ings, aims a more direct and deadly blow at anti- 
christ's kingdom, than any other; hence his enmity 
against it is the greater, and he is busy in endeavour- 
ing to pervert and obscure it; while as it stands di- 
rectly in opposition to the unregenerate nature of man, 
so he is most willing to have it concealed from his 
view. 



8 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OF 

We have seen, during a season of trial which but a 
little while ago passed over us, the attempts of the 
grand deceiver to invalidate and bring into disrepute 
the doctrine of immediate divine revelation, by lead- 
ing many who made profession of it, but were not 
faithful to its teachings, under the pretext of greater 
spirituality than their brethren, into a denial of some 
of the fundamental truths of the Christian religion ; 
especially in reference to the authenticity and divine 
authority of the Holy Scriptures, and the divinity and 
offices of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 

This mournful declension brought deep sorrow and 
painful exercise upon many faithful Friends ; who, 
through divine mercy, were preserved from the delu- 
sion, and engaged to lift up the standard of truth 
against its progress. Not having been permitted to 
lay waste the Society by means of this dark and be- 
wildering stratagem, the enemy is now assailing us 
on the other hand ; endeavouring to draw away from 
the spirituality of the gospel — to induce an undue de- 
pendence upon outward means, and to settle down at 
ease in a literal knowledge and behef of the truths of 
the Holy Scriptures. 

Another device is, to set individuals at work, in the 
will and w^isdom of the natural man, to comprehend 
and explain the sacred truths of religion ; to bring 
them down to the level of his unassisted reason, and 
make them easy to the flesh ; so as to avoid the mor- 
tifying experience of becoming fools for Christ's sake, 
and taking up the daily cross to the wisdom, tha 
friendships, the honour and the fashions of the world. 
Others he is leading into great zeal and activity in 
undertakings of a religious or benevolent character, 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. V 

which, however laudable their objects may be, are 
not their proper work and business; but engross the 
tinne, talents and attention, which ought to be devoted 
to the all-important concerns of the soul's salvation ; 
and being in some measure substituted for that, pro- 
duce great and serious loss to such individuals. 

At different periods since we were fa^st gathered to 
be a people, individuals have arisen among us, who 
have not submitted to the baptism of the Holy Spirit, 
so as to experience the death of self and a resurrec- 
tion into newness of life — or having known it, have 
fallen away from that happy estate, and endeavoured 
to lay waste the doctrines they once professed. 
Through the friendships of the world, and the desire 
after an easier way, they have become ashamed of 
the simplicity of the truth, and offended at the re- 
proach which the worldly professor attaches to the 
self-denying religion of the cross of Christ ; and their 
spiritual vision becoming thereby clouded, they have 
promulgated sentiments repugnant to our Christian 
faith, and to the spiritual nature and universality of 
the gospel, as set forth by our early Friends; particu- 
larly by Robert Barclay, in his able and excellent 
"Apology for the true Christian Divinity;" a work 
which has been frequently pubhshed and spread by 
our Society, as a correct exposition of its doctrines, 
and which we would recommend to the careful and 
serious perusal of all our members. 

These defections are no new thing, nor are they 
peculiar to our Society; many, in different ages of 
the church, having made shipwreck of faith and a 
good conscience, and for a time brought much suffer- 
ing upon the faithful followers of Christ. But it is 



10 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OF 

worthy of observation, that those among us, who 
have thus turned against the truth and Friends, even 
though they were once eminent and useful instru- 
ments, have generally fallen away, so as to lose what 
they had known of the life and power of godliness; 
the men of this world have gathered them into their 
fellowship, and like withered branches, all greenness 
has been dried up. 

During the season of trial already alluded to, when 
some of the fundamental doctrines of Christianity 
were denied by those who have since separated from 
us, many, from a sincere desire to maintain those 
precious doctrines inviolate, came forward in their 
defence. For want of coming under, and keeping to 
the unfoldings of divine light, by which alone the 
spiritual eye is enabled to see clearly, and a quahfi- 
cation is experienced to bear a true testimony to the 
gospel in its fulness, some of these, in their efforts to 
advocate those doctrines, have not sufficiently kept in 
view the internal operation of the gospel, as the power 
of God unto salvation; nor borne a clear and une- 
quivocal testimony, as our ancient Friends did, to the 
universal appearance of Christ in the souls of all men, 
as " the true Light, which lighteth every man that 
Cometh into the world." 

Seeing the errors which arose from undervaluing 
the Holy Scriptures, there has been a tendency to run 
into the opposite extreme, and to exalt them into a 
place and office whi^h they do not claim for them- 
selves, and which derogate from the work and office 
of the Holy Spirit. 

In attempting to counteract the sorrowful effects 
resulting from a denial of the benefits which accrue 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 11 

to mankind from the sufferings and death of Christ, 
as the propitiation for the sins of the whole world, the 
subject has been pressed so far as to give countenance 
to the idea that Christ has paid the debt, and done the 
work for us, without us ; and that by a profession of 
faith in and rehance upon him, as their atonement and 
righteousness, the ungodly may be justified without 
experiencing sanctification through the power of the 
Holy Spirit. 

For want of duly considering that the unfaithful- 
ness or inconsistency of false professors, is no argu- 
ment against a truth, sound and profitable in itself, we 
apprehend that the high pretensions to the light of 
Christ, made by those who separated from us, have 
induced some to undervalue this fundamental doctrine 
of Holy Scripture, and to treat it in a manner calcu- 
lated to derogate from its sufficiency as the primary 
rule of faith and life ; or to take such an imperfect 
and mixed view of it, as to lessen the value and im- 
portance which it justly holds in sound Scripture doc- 
trine. 

We think the influence and eflfects of these things 
are to be discovered in our favoured Society; and 
under a renewed fervent desire to discharge our reli- 
gious duty in the sight of the great Head of the 
church, and an aflTectionate concern for our beloved 
fellow-members, that we may all come into the unity 
of the faith ; striving together, through the Lord's 
gracious assistance, for the spreading of his kingdom, 
and the growth of each other in the pure unchange- 
able truth ; we feel engaged to caution our dear Friends 
against the dangers to which we have thus briefly 
alluded ; and to revive some of the doctrines and tes- 



12 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OF 

timonies which our religious Society has always 
heldy and still most surely believes ; as well as to im- 
part some tender counsel respecting other matters, 
which may endanger their stability, and the peace and 
prosperity of the Society at large. 



OF THE ONE TRUE GOD, AND THE THREE THAT BEAR 
RECORD IN HEAVEN. 

We believe in one only wise, omnipotent and 
everlasting God, the creator and upholder of all 
things, visible and invisible, — and in one Lord Jesus 
Christ, by whom are all things, the mediator be- 
tween God and man, — and in the Holy Spirit, which 
proceedeth from the Father and the Son ; one God, 
blessed forever, to whom belong all glory and honour, 
adoration and praise, forever — Amen. 

In speaking of the infinite, eternal Being, we have 
always considered it most proper and consistent with 
his all-glorious and incomprehensible existence and 
attributes, and safest for us, finite creatures, to confine 
ourselves to the language of Holy Scripture. For 
this reason, and because it tends to perplexity and 
doubt, the Society has always objected to the use of 
the terms person and personality, in speaking of the 
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Man may think, 
by his wisdom and learning, to define the Divine ex- 
istence, and render it more intelligible than the holy 
men who wrote under the immediate guidance of the 
Holy Ghost; but we believe that all such attempts 
will ever be vain and futile, and that it is our duty 
humbly to receive, and rest satisfied with, the descrip- 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 13 

lion of the Three that bear record in heaven, given to 
us in the language of Holy Scripture, without at- 
tempting to pry further into this sacred mystery. To 
speak of the Supreme Being as constituted of three 
persons, and to attempt to define in famihar terms 
the relative place and office of each, we beheve does 
not tend to edification, but is calculated to lessen that 
reverence and fear which ought always to clothe the 
mind in speaking of Almighty God; tends to bewilder 
and confuse the sincere inquirer after truth, and not 
only leads into unprofitable speculation, but may give 
ground to the sceptic to cavil at the Christian religion. 
Our ancient Friends, though often assailed in refer- 
ence to this article of their faith, by persons who la- 
boured to draw them into the use of terms which they 
considered improper and unscriptural, steadily refused 
to depart from the language of the prophets, and of our 
blessed Lord and his apostles, in relation to it ; even 
though they were charged with unsoundness of prin- 
ciple, because they rejected those scholastic terms of 
their opponents. 

George Fox, in a work entitled, "An Answer to all 
such as falsely say the Quakers are no Christians," 
writes thus on this subject, viz : 

" We own the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, 
as the apostles have declared. And it is the Spirit 
that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth; for 
there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, 
the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are 
one ; and there are three which bear record in earth, 
which we own. And now let none be oflcnded, be- 
cause we do not call them by those unscriptural 
names of Trinity and Three persons, which arc not 



14 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OF 

Scripture words ; and so do falsely say, that we deny 
the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, which 
three are one, that bear record in heaven, &c. ; which 
three we own with all our hearts, as the apostle John 
did, and as all true Christians ever did, and now 
do. And if you say we are not Christians, because 
we do not call the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, the 
Trinity, distinct and separate persons, then you may 
as well conclude that John was no Christian, who did 
not give the Father, Word, and Holy Ghost, those 
names. 

" We believe, concerning God the Father, Son, and 
Spirit, according to the testimony of the Holy Scrip- 
ture, which we receive and embrace as the most au- 
thentic and perfect declaration of Christian faith, being 
indited by the Holy Spirit of God, that never errs : 
1st. That there is one God and Father, of whom are 
all things; 2ndly. That there is one Lord Jesus Christ, 
by whom all things were made, who was glorified 
with the Father before the world began, who is God 
over all, blessed forever; that there is one Holy Spirit, 
the promise of the Father and the Son, and leader 
and sanctifier, and comforter of his people. And we 
further believe, as the Holy Scriptures soundly and 
sufficiently express, that these three are one, even the 
Father, the Word, and the Spirit." 

Robert Barclay, in his Confession of Faith, says : 
" There is one God, who is a Spirit; and this is the mes- 
sage w^hich the apostles heard of him and declared unto 
the saints, that he is light, and in him is no darkness at 
all. There are three that bear record in heaven, the 
Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these 
three are one. The Father is in the Son, and the 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 15 

Son is in the Father. No man knoweth the Son but 
the Father, neither knoweth any man the Father save 
the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal 
him. The Spirit searcheth all things, yea the deep 
things of God. For the things of God knoweth no 
man, but the Spirit of God. Now the saints have re- 
ceived, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit 
which is of God, that they might know the things 
which are freely given them of God. For the Com- 
forter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father 
sends in Christ's name, he teacheth them all things, 
and bringeth all things to their remembrance." 

Concerning the Father, the Word, and the Spirit, 
Wilham Penn says: "Because we have been very 
cautious in expressing our faith concerning that great 
mystery, especially in such school terms and philoso- 
phical distinctions as are unscriptural, if not unsound, 
the tendency whereof has been to raise frivolous con- 
troversies and animosities amongst men, w^e have by 
those who desire to lessen our Christian reputation, 
been represented as deniers of the Trinity at large ; 
whereas, we ever believed, and as constantly main- 
tained, the truth of that blessed Holy Scripture three 
that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and 
the Spirit, and that these three are one ; the which, 
we both sincerely and reverently believe, according 
to 1 John V. 7. And this is sufficient for us to beljeve 
and know, and hath a tendency to edification and ho- 
liness; when the contrary centres only in imagina- 
tions and strife, and persecution, where it runs high, 
and to parties, as may be read in bloody characters 
in the ecclesiastical histories." 

The following is extracted from a work written by 



16 THE AXCIEXT TESTIMOXY OF 

George Whitehead, entitled, •• The Divinity of Christ, 
and unity of the Three that bear record in heaven, 
and the blessed end and effects of Christ's appearance, 
corning in the flesh, suffering and sacrifice for sinners, 
confessed and vindicated by his followers, the Qua- 
kers." 

" The divinity of Christ confessed by us called 
Quakers, and what we own touching the Deity or 
Godhead, according to the Scriptures ; That there is 
but one God the Father, of whom are all things, and we 
in him, — and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all 
things, and we by him. That there are three that 
bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and 
the Spirit, and that these three are one, both in divin- 
ity, divine substance and essence ; not three Gods, nor 
separate beings, — that they are called by several 
names in Scripture, as manifest to and in the saints; 
(for whatsoever may be known of God, is manifest in 
man; Rom. 1.) and their record received as the full 
testimony of three, by such as truly know and own 
the record of the three in earth ; and yet they are 
eternally one in nature and being ; one infinite wis- 
dom, one power, one love, one light and life, &c. 

"We never denied the divinity of Christ, as most 
injuriously we have been accused by some prejudiced 
spirits, who prejudicially, in their perverse contests, 
have sought occasion against us ; as chiefly because 
when some of us were in dispute with [others,] we 
could not own their unscriptural distinctions and 
terms, touching the Father, the Word, and the Holy 
Spirit ; to wit : of their being incommunicable, dis- 
tinct, separate persons, or substances; whereas, the 
Father, the Word, and Spirit, are one — not to be 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 17 

compared to corruptible men, nor to finite creatures 
or persons, which are limitable and separable. For 
the only wise God, the Creator of all, who is one, and 
his name one, is infinite and inseparable. And the 
Father's begetting the Son, and the Spirit's being 
sent, we witness to and own, as he said, ' Thou art 
my Son, this day have I begotten thee.' And he hath 
sent his Spirit into our hearts — and that the Father is 
in the Son, and the Son in the Father, yea in the bo- 
som of the Father; so that they are neither divided 
nor separate, being one, and of one infinite nature and 
substance — Christ being the image of the invisible 
God, the first-born of every creature, by whom all 
things were created, both in heaven and in earth. 
Yea, the Son of God is the brightness of his glory 
and the express image of his substance. And that it 
was in due time that God was manifest in flesh, as in 
the fulness of time God sent his Son — and the Son of 
God was made manifest to destroy sin— and a mani- 
festation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit 
withal. So the manifestation of the Father, of the 
Son, and Holy Spirit, we confess to and own to be in 
unity, and so the only true God, according to the 
Scriptures. 

" And that Jesus Christ being in the form of God, 
thought it no robbery to be equal with God, and yet 
as a Son, in the fulness of time was sent of the Fa- 
ther, and took on him the form of a servant, in which 
state he said, 'My Father is greater than I.' And he 
learned obedience through suffering, and w^as made 
perfect, and is become an everlasting High Priest, 
after the order of Melchizedeck, and is the author of 
eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; and 

3 



18 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OF 

God hath given us eternal life in his Son. And unto 
us a child is born and a Son is given, whose name is 
Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlast- 
ing Father, the Prince of peace, and he is over all, 
God blessed forever, even the true God and eternal 
life. So that the deity or divinity of Christ, in his 
eternal, infinite, glorious state, we really confess and 
own, having known his virtue and power to redeem us 
from our vain conversations, and to save us from 
wrath to come. 

"And we judge that such expressions and words, 
as the Holy Ghost taught the true apostles and holy 
men, mentioned in the Scriptures, are most meet to 
speak of God and Christ, and not the words of man's 
wisdom, or human inventions and devised distinctions, 
since the apostles' days." 

OF DIVINE REVELATION. 

The doctrine of immediate divine revelation, which 
was soon lost sight of in the apostacy, and even treat- 
ed with derision and scorn, although clearly set forth 
in the Holy Scriptures, and its necessity and use am- 
ply testified to ; was revived and abundantly preached 
by the early members of our Society, as the glory 
and hfe of the gospel dispensation. Through the 
powerful operation of the Holy Spirit on their hearts, 
they came to see their own fallen condition, and their 
need of a deliverer nigh at hand, and not afar off; and 
obeying its divine openings, they were brought to the 
true knowledge of God, and of his beloved Son, Jesus 
Christ, as their Redeemer and Saviour. They could 
testify to others what their eyes had seen, and their 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 19 

hands had handled of the good word of life, and of 
the powers of the world to come : the Holy Scrip- 
tures were livingly and savingly opened to them by 
this divine anointing ; and their faith did not stand in 
the wisdom of men, but in the power of God revealed 
in their hearts. 

It is no marvel that to those who had been thus 
divinely gathered from the teachings and commenta- 
ries of men, to Christ Jesus, the minister of the sanc- 
tuary and true tabernacle, which God hath pitched, 
and not man, the doctrine of immediate divine reve- 
lation should be very precious, and should form a 
principal theme in their writings and discourses. 
They not only knew in whom they believed, but also 
that it was not of man, nor by man, but by the reve- 
lation of Jesus Christ in the soul, that they came to 
this saving knowledge. While other professors, too 
generally, were resting in a bare belief of what Christ 
had done for them, without them, and in a literal 
knowledge of the Holy Scriptures ; these converted 
and regenerated witnesses of the truth as it is in 
Jesus, were made partakers of that faith which is 
produced by the testimony of the Spirit of Christ in 
the heart, by which they not only received him as 
their Redeemer and Saviour, in what he graciously 
did and suffered in the flesh, as the propitiation for 
sin, and as their mediator and intercessor ; but like- 
wise in his inward and spiritual appearance, to bap- 
tize and sanctify them ; so as to prepare their souls to 
partake of the fulness of the blessings which the gos- 
pel confers. 

In setting forth the belief of the Society respecting 
this important doctrine, Robert Barclay states that, 



20 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY Of 

" Seeing, *no man knoweth the Father but the Son, 
and he to whom the Son revealeth him ;' and seeing 
' the revelation of the Son is in and by the Spirit ;' 
therefore the testimony of the Spirit is that alone by 
which the true knowledge of God hath been, is, and 
can be only revealed. As, by the moving of his own 
Spirit, he disposed the chaos of this world into that 
wonderful order in which it was in the beginning, and 
created man a living soul, to rule and govern it, so, 
by the revelation of the same Spirit, he hath mani- 
fested himself all along unto the sons of men, both pa- 
triarchs, prophets and apostles ; which revelations of 
God by the Spirit, whether by outward voices and ap- 
pearances, dreams, or inward objective manifestations 
in the heart, were of old the formal object of their faith, 
and remain yet so to be ; since ' the object of the saints' 
faith is the same in all ages, though held forth under 
divers administrations.' Moreover, these divine inward 
revelations, which we make absolutely necessary for 
the building up of true faith, neither do nor can ever 
contradict the outward testimony of the Scriptures, or 
rio-ht and sound reason. Yet from hence it w^ill not 
follow, that these divine revelations are to be subjected 
to the test, either of the outward testimony of the 
Scriptures, or of the natural reason of man, as to a 
more noble or certain rule and touchstone. For this 
divine revelation, and inward illumination, is that 
which is evident and clear of itself, forcing, by its own 
evidence and clearness, the w^ell-disposed understand- 
ing to assent, irresistibly moving the same thereunto, 
even as the common principles of natural truths do 
move and incUne the mind to a natural assent." 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIEJfDS. 21 

With reference to the various outward sources of 
knowledge, he says, " I would not, however, be under- 
stood, as if I hereby excluded those other means of 
knowledge from any use or service to man; it is 
far from me so to judge, as concerning the Scriptures 
in the next proposition will more plainly appear." 

Having laid down the position, that the knowledge 
of the Father is by and through the Son, he proceeds 
to show that the revelation of the Son is by the Spirit. 
'* Where it is to be noted," he says, " that I always 
speak of the saving, certain, and necessary knowledge 
of God, which, that it cannat be acquired otherways 
than by the Spirit, doth also appear from many clear 
Scriptures. For Jesus Christ, in and by whom the Fa- 
ther is revealed, doth also reveal himself to his disciples 
and friends, in and by his Spirit. As his manifestation 
was outward w^hen he testified for the truth in this 
world, and approved himself faithful throughout — so 
being now withdrawn as to the outward man, he 
teaches and instructs mankind inwardly by his own 
Spirit. He standeth at the door, and whoso heareth 
his voice and openeth, he comes in to such. Of this 
revelation of Christ in him, Paul speaks, in which he 
places the excellency of his ministry, and the certainty 
of his calling. And the promise of Christ to his dis- 
ciples, confirms the same thing, ' Lo, I am with you 
alway, even to the end of the world ;' for this is an 
inward and spiritual presence^ as all acknowledge." 

Again, the apostle says, " What man know^eth the 
things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? 
even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the 
Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of 
the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that w^e might 



22 THE ANCIEJJT TESTIMONY OF 

know the things that are freely given to us of God.'^ 
From which Robert Barclay argues, " If that which 
appertains properly to man, cannot be discerned by 
any lower principle than the spirit of man, then can- 
not those things which properly relate unto God and 
Christ, be known or discerned by any lower thing 
than the Spirit of God and Christ." Again, " that 
which is spiritual, can only be known and discerned 
by the Spirit of God ; but the revelation of Jesus 
Christ, and the true and saving knowledge of him is 
spiritual, and therefore can only be known and dis- 
cerned by the Spirit of God." The same apostle also 
asserts, that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, 
but by the Holy Ghost ; from which Robert Barclay 
argues, " If no man can say Jesus is the Lord, but by 
the Holy Ghost, then no man can know Jesus to be 
the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost ; and if no man can 
know him to be the Lord but through this medium, 
then there can be no certain knowledge or revelation 
of him but by the Spirit." 

" That these revelations were the object of the 
saints' faith of old, will easily appear by the definition 
of faith, and considering what its object is. Paul de- 
scribes it two ways : Faith, says he, is the substance 
of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen ; 
which, as he illustrates it by many examples, is no 
other but a firm and certain belief of the mind, 
whereby it rests and in a sense possesses the sub- 
stance of some things hoped for, through its confi- 
dence in the promise of God ; and thus the soul has a 
most firm evidence by its faith, of things not yet seen 
nor come to pass. The object of this faith is the pro- 
mise, word, or testimony of God speaking in the mind. 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 23 

Hence it has been generally affirmed, that the object 
of faith is God speaking ; which is also manifest from 
all those examples deduced by the apostle throughout 
that chapter, whose faith was founded, neither upon 
any outward testimony, nor upon the voice or writ- 
ing of man, but upon the revelation of God's will 
manifest unto, and in them ; as in the example of 
Noah. Thus, ' by faith Noah, being warned of God of 
things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an 
ark to the saving of his house; by which he con- 
demned the world, and became heir of the righteous- 
ness which is by faith.' What w^as here the object of 
Noah's faith, but God speaking unto him? He had 
not the writings nor prophesyings of any going be- 
fore, nor yet the concurrence of any church or peo- 
ple to strengthen him ; and yet his faith in the word, 
by which he contradicted the whole w^orld, saved 
him and his house. Of which also, Abraham is set 
forth as a singular example, being therefore called the 
father of the faithful, who is said, against hope to have 
believed in hope ; in that he not only willingly forsook 
his father's country, not knowing whither he went, in 
that he believed concerning the coming of Isaac; but 
above all, in that he refused not to offer him up, not 
doubting that God was able to raise him from the 
dead; of whom it is said, that in Isaac shall thy seed 
be called. The object of Abraham's faith in all this, 
was no other but inward, immediate revelation, or 
God signifying his will unto him inwardly and imme- 
diately by his Spirit." 

In outward and natural things, we often rely upon 
probabilities and the testimony of others ; but in mat- 
ters which pertain to the salvation of the soul, there 



24 THE .^ ~^^ -r.- V-- ^ 

can be no effectual faith but that which is produced 
by the immediate operation of the Holy Spirit in the 
heart, inclining and enabling us to believe what it re-^^ 
veals to us there, as well as those things which are 
recorded in the Scriptures of Truth. This faith is not 
an inherent principle or natural faculty of the human 
mind, which can be exercised when, and as a man 
pleases, though it will always be given to those who 
seek it in a humble and childlike spirit, of Hira who 
is the author and giver of it- " Whatsoever is bom 
of God,** saith the apostle, ** overconaeth the world ; | 
and this is the victory that overcometh the world, ; 
even our faith." No faculty or principle natural to 
the mind of man, can give this victory. " By grace 
are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves ; i 
it is the gift of God." This grace of Gkxl teaches us 
to deny all ungodliness, and the world's lusts; and 
where it is received and obeyed, it gives faith to be- 
lieve that we shall be strengthened and enabled by it 
to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil. Thus 
we are saved by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ 
through faith in him ; and as we continue to beheve in 
and follow him to the end, we shall know him to be 
the finisher, as well as the author, of this Kving victo- 
rious faith. 

" He that believeth on the Son of God, hath the 
witness in himself:" this witness is the Holy Spirit, 
by which the Son of Gkxl reveals himself to the soul, 
gives it faith to believe in his all-powerful name, and 
as he is obeyed and followed, he displays his almighty 
power and goodness, in pardoning its past sins — de- 
livering it out of the bondage of corruption, and trans- 
latiDsr it into the libertv of the sons of God. Thus, 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 25 

Christ is experimentally known as the Redeemer, Sa- 
viour and Sanctifier of his people ; and those only 
have a right to call him so, whom he thus saves from 
their sins, by his own blessed Spirit. " Wherefore I 
give you to understand, saith the apostle, that no man 
speaking by the Spirit of God, calleth Jesus accursed ; 
and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but 
by the Holy Ghost." Through living experience of 
his power in breaking up the strong holds of sin and 
satan ; delivering them from worse than Egyptian 
bondage and darkness, and bringing them into the 
marvellous light of the Lord, these can truly say that 
Jesus is their Lord and Saviour; and while they keep 
under the government of his Spirit, they can never 
do or say any thing that derogates from his divine 
character or offices, nor from the testimony of the 
Holy Scriptures. 

After stating that some persons confess that the Holy 
Spirit now leads and influences the saints, but that he 
does it only by enlightening their understandings to un- 
derstand and believe the truths deHvered in the Scrip- 
tures ; Robert Barclay further says, " This opinion is 
not altogether according to the truth, neither does 
it reach the fulness of it. Because there are many 
truths, which, as they are applicable to individuals, 
and most needful to be known by them, are in no wise 
to be found in the Scriptures. Besides, the Spirit not 
only subjectively helps us to discern truths elsewhere 
delivered, but also objectively presents those truths to 
the mind. For that which teaches me all things, and 
is given me for that end, without doubt presents those 
things to my mind which it teaches me. It is not said, 
it shall teach you how to understand those things that 

4 



26 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OF 

are written [merely] ; but it shall teach you all things. 
Again, that which brings all things to my remembrance 
must needs present them by way of object." This is 
also evident from the nature of the New Covenant, 
which is expressed in divers places : " As for me, this 
is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; my Spirit 
that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy 
mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the 
mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's 
seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and forever." — 
" The perpetuity of this promise is fully expressed ; and 
it was immediate, for there is no mention made ofj 
any medium. He says not, I shall by means of suchi 
writings or books convey such words into yourj 
mouths ; but my words, I, even I, saith the Lord, have! 
put into your mouths. This must be objectively, fori 
the words put into the mouth are the object presented I 
by him. He says not, the words which ye shall see 
written, my Spirit shall only enlighten your understand- j 
ings to assent unto ; but positively, my words which I 
have put into thy mouth: therefore upon whomsoever) 
the Spirit remaineth always, and putteth words intoj 
his mouth, him doth the Spirit teach immediately,] 
objectively and continually." 

*' The nature of the New Covenant is yet more amply] 
expressed in Jeremiah, and repeated by the apostle 1 
in these words ; * For this is the convenant that I will 
make with the house of Israel, after those days, saith 
the Lord ; I will put my laws into their mind, and 
write them in their hearts, and I will be to them a 
God, and they shall be to me a people. And they shall j 
not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his ! 
brother, saying, know the Lord ; for they shall all know j 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 27 

me, from the least to the greatest.' The object here 
is God's law placed in the heart and written in the 
mind ; from whence they become God's people, and 
are brought truly to know him. In this then the law 
is distinguished from the gospel : the law before was 
outward, written in tables of stone, but it is now 
inward, written in the heart. Of old, the people de- 
pended upon their priests for the knowledge of God ; 
but now they all have a certain and sensible know- 
ledge of him. How much then are they deceived, 
who, instead of making the gospel preferable to the 
law, have made the condition of such as are under 
the gospel far worse. For no doubt it is a far better 
and more desirable thing to converse with God im- 
mediately, than only mediately, as being a higher and 
more glorious dispensation; and yet these men ac- 
knowledge, that many under the law had immediate 
converse with God, whereas they now cry that it is 
ceased." 

" Under the law there was the holy of holies, into 
which the high priest entered, and received the word 
of the Lord immediately from betwixt the cherubims ; 
so that the people could then certainly know the mind 
of the Lord: but now, according to these men's 
judgment, we are in a far worse condition ; having 
nothing but the outward letter of the Scriptures to 
guess and divine from. But Jesus Christ hath pro- 
mised us better things, though many are so unwise as 
not to believe him, even to guide us by his own uner- 
ring Spirit ; and he hath rent and removed the veil, 
whereby not only one, and that once a year, may 
enter; but all of us, at all times, have access unto him 
as often as we draw near unto him with pure hearts. 



28 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OP 

He reveals his will unto us by his Spirit, and writes 
his law in our hearts. And where the knowledge of 
God is put into the mind and written in the heart, 
there the object of faith and revelation of the know- 
ledge of God is inward, immediate and objective; and 
this is the situation of every true Christian under the 
New Covenant." 

In replying to the objection, that if men be now 
immediately led and ruled by the Spirit of God, they 
may add new Scriptures of equal authority with the 
Bible, and that every one may bring in a new gospel 
according to his fancy, — Robert Barclay observes, 
"We have shut the door upon all such doctrine, af- 
firming that the Scriptures give a full and ample testi- 
mony to all the principal doctrines of the Christian 
faith. For we do firmly believe that there is no other 
gospel or doctrine to be preached, but that which was 
delivered by the apostles ; and do freely subscribe to 
that saying, Let him that preacheth any other gospel 
than that which has been already preached by the 
apostles, and according to the Scriptures, be accursed. 
So we distinguish between a revelation of a new gos- 
pel and new doctrines, and a new revelation of the 
good old gospel and doctrines ; the last we plead for, 
but the first we utterly deny. For we firmly believe, 
that no other foundation can any man lay than that 
which is laid already." 

William Penn, in writing on the same subject, says: 
"By revelation we understand the discovery and illu- 
mination of the Light and Spirit of God, relating to 
those things that properly and immediately concern 
the daily information and satisfaction of our souls, in 
the way of our duty to him and our neighbour. We 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 29 

renounce all fantastical and whimsical intoxications, 
or any pretence to the revelation of new matter, in 
opposition to the ancient gospel declared by Christ 
Jesus and his apostles ; and therefore not the revela- 
tion of new things, but the renewed revelation of the 
eternal way of truth." 

That true Christians in the present day are to be 
immediately led and governed by the Holy Spirit 
dwelHng in the heart, is evident from many Scripture 
promises and declarations. Our Lord himself, a short 
time before his ascension, gave this promise to his dis- 
ciples : "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you 
another Comforter, that he may abide with you for- 
ever; even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot 
receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him : 
but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall 
be in you." Again he says, " But the Comforter, 
which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send 
in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring 
all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have 
said unto you." '' Howbeit, when He, the Spirit of 
Truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth ; for 
he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall 
hear, that shall he speak : and he will show you things 
to come." 

We are here told, first, who this is, designated by 
the several names of the Comforter, the Spirit of 
Truth, the Holy Ghost, the sent of the Father in the 
name of Christ ; secondly, where he is to be found ; 
He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you; and thirdly, 
what his work is; He shall teach you all things, bring 
all things to your remembrance, and guide you into 
all truth. 

5 



30 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OF 

That the Holy Spirit is to dwell in the saints now, and 
that these promises w^ere not made to the immediate 
disciples of our Lord only, but to all who receive him 
when he knocks at the door, and obey his voice, is 
proved by many passages in the Scriptures. Paul says 
to the Romans, "Ye are not in the flesh, but in the 
Spirit, if so be the Spirit of God dwell in you;" and 
to the Corinthians, " Know ye not that your body is 
the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which 
ye have of God." What is this but affirming that 
they in w^hom the Holy Spirit dwells, are no longer 
in the flesh, or of those who please not God, but are 
become Christians indeed; and in the same verse 
above quoted, he tells the Romans that " if any man 
have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his ;" that 
is, he is no Christian. He then who acknowledges 
himself a stranger to the work and government of the 
Spirit of Christ in his own heart, has not attained to 
the least measure of Christian experience ; nay, has 
not so much as embraced the Christian religion, not- 
withstanding all he may otherwise know and beheve 
about Christ, or how much soever he may be ac- 
quainted with the letter of the Holy Scriptures. If 
the Spirit is taken away, Christianity is no more Chris- 
tianity, than the dead body of a man is a man, when 
the soul is departed. Whatsoever is excellent, what- 
soever is noble, w^hatsoever is worthy, w^hatsoever is 
desirable in the Christian faith is ascribed to the 
Spirit. 

To this, true Christians in all ages attribute their 
strength and life: by it they declare themselves to be 
illuminated, converted, regenerated and redeemed 
from the world. By it they are strengthened in weak- 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 31 

ness, comforted in affliction, armed against temptation, 
fortified against sufferings, enabled to triumph over 
their persecutors, and to hold communion with God. 
It is the Spirit that quickeneth ; it was the Spirit that 
gave them utterance ; it was the Spirit by which 
Stephen spake, so that the Jews were not able to 
resist. It is such as walk after the Spirit that receive 
no condemnation, for the law of the Spirit of life in 
Christ Jesus makes them free from the law of sin and 
death ; and it is by the Spirit of God dwelling in us 
that we are redeemed from the carnal mind. It is the 
Spirit of Christ dwelling in us that quickeneth our 
mortal bodies ; it is through the Spirit that the deeds 
of the body are mortified and life obtained. It is by 
the Spirit that we are adopted and cry Abba, Father; 
for it is the Spirit that beareth witness with our spirits 
that we are the children of God. It is the Spirit that 
helpeth our infirmities and maketh intercession for us, 
with groanings which cannot be uttered ; and it is by 
the Spirit that the glorious things which God hath laid 
up for the righteous, which neither outward ear hath 
heard, nor outward eye seen, nor the heart of man 
conceived by all his reasonings, are revealed unto us. 
It is by this Spirit that wisdom, knowledge, faith, 
tongues, prophecies are imparted to man, and it is by 
it that we are all baptized into one body and made 
to drink into one cup. In a word, there is nothing 
relating to the salvation of the soul, that can be 
rightly performed or efl^ectually obtained, without it. 
This gift of the Holy Spirit, which comes through 
our Lord Jesus Christ, is indeed the glory of the gospel 
dispensation ; and we believe that if the professors of 
the Christian name, would lay aside the prejudices of 



32 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OF 

education and their preconceived opinions, and con- 
sult the testimony of the Spirit in their own hearts, 
they would find that whatever of spiritual comfort, 
strength, or other benefit they partake of, is not to be 
ascribed to their forms or ceremonies, nor does it 
come through them, but from the inward operations 
of the Holy Spirit; and that if they were weaned 
from those outward observances, and their attention 
and dependence placed upon this blessed source of 
divine consolation and strength, they would be made 
the joyful partakers of much fuller manifestations of 
his glorious presence and power. The more we are 
brought into humble child-like reliance upon Christ, 
and obedience to the dictates of his Spirit, the greater 
degrees of faith will be granted us in his power to 
deliver us out of all evil, in his wisdom and goodness 
to guide us in the way everlasting, and in his unfailing 
strength to enable us to perform the will of God ; by 
which his faithful followers will grow in divine know- 
ledge and experience, and be built upon Him, the 
Rock of ages and the foundation of many generations. 
We have dwelt the more largely upon this doctrine, 
because we believe it to be of great practical import- 
ance, and are apprehensive that it is not sufficiently 
regarded or lived up to, by many under our name. It 
is our earnest desire, that none among us may be 
drawn into the adoption of sentiments, or the use of 
expressions which tend to weaken a belief in the imme- 
diate guidance of the Spirit of Truth, or put the Holy 
Scriptures into its place and office, thinking that by 
the study of them they can come to the saving know- 
ledge of spiritual things, and esteeming them, instead 
of the Spirit, the principal means for the enlightening, 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 83 

conversion and edification of nnankind, or of unfolding 
to the mind the divine will concerning us. 

It pleased the Lord, by his blessed Spirit, to give 
our primitive Friends to see the deadness and form- 
ality of the religious professions of their day; to bring 
them out of the observance of those forms and cere- 
monies which yielded no life or peace to their panting 
souls, and to gather them into reverent, silent waiting 
upon himself, for a qualification to perform that wor- 
ship which is in spirit and in truth. In faithfully 
following his heavenly guidance, they were united in 
the faith and fellowship of the gospel, and all spake 
the same language, come out of what society or from 
what country they might; and thus harmoniously 
travailing together for the honour of God and the 
spread of the kingdom of Christ, they were like a city 
set upon a hill that could not be hid; many souls were 
awakened and converted, through their instrumentali- 
ty, and joined the Society, and they were successfully 
engaged in diffusing a knowledge of the doctrines and 
testimonies of the gospel in many parts of the world. 
May we all be sincerely engaged to follow them as 
they followed Christ, that others seeing our good 
works, may glorify our Father who is in Heaven. 

THE FALLEIf STATE OF MAN. 

Man was created in the image of God, capable of 
understanding the divine law, and holding communion 
with his Creator. Through transgression he fell from 
this blessed state, and consequently lost the heavenly 
image. His posterity come into the world in the 
image of the earthly, and until renewed by the quick- 



34 



THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OF 



ening power of the grace of God, they are fallen, 
degenerated, and dead to the divine life in which Adam 
originally stood, and are subject to the power, nature 
and seed of the serpent; and not only their words 
and deeds, but their imaginations are evil perpetually 
in the sight of God, as proceeding from this depraved 
and wicked seed. Man therefore in this state can 
. know nothing aright concerning God ; his thoughts 
and conceptions of spiritual things, until he is dis- 
joined from this evil seed, and united to the divine 
light, are unprofitable to himself and to others. 

Although w^e are not punishable for Adam's sin, and 
do not partake of his guilt until we make it our own 
by transgression, yet we cannot suppose that, de- 
scended from Adam, man has any natural light, or 
moral faculty pertaining to his constitution, that can 
give him a sense of his fallen state, or bring him out 
of it into that spiritual fellowship and communion 
with God, which Adam fell from. Whatever real 
good any man doth, it proceeds from the seed of God 
in him as a new visitation of life, in order to bring 
him out of his fallen state ; which though it be placed 
in him, is not of him. 

Where the apostle asserts that the Gentiles do by 
nature the things contained in the law, he is not to be 
understood as speaking of man's own nature, which 
he hath as man, for this would make him contradict 
himself; since he declares that the natural man re- 
ceiveth not the things of God, for they are foolishness 
to him, neither can he know them, for they are spirit- 
ually discerned. The nature by which the Gentiles 
did the things of the law, cannot therefore be the fallen 
corrupt nature, but the renewed spiritual nature, pro- 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OP FRIENDS, 35 

ceeding from the regenerating power of divine grace, 
which is evident from what follows — "-these having 
not the law, that is outwardly, are a law unto them- 
selves, w^hich show the work of the law written in 
their hearts." Now the law of God is among the 
things of God, — and the apostle says, the law is spirit- 
ual, holy, just and good ; and the Scriptures declare, 
that the writing of the divine law in the heart, is an 
essential part of the New Covenant dispensation, and 
therefore it can be no part of man's nature. 

However early children give evidence of the effects 
of the fall, and of a sinful nature, they cannot be 
sinners from their birth, because there can be no sin 
where there is no transgression ; and where there is 
not a capacity to receive a law, it cannot be trans- 
gressed. The testimony of the apostle is very posi- 
tive to this point; "Where no law is there is no trans- 
gression ;" " but sin is not imputed when there is no 
law." To account a child guilty or obnoxious to 
punishment, merely for an offence committed by its 
parents, before it could have any consciousness of 
being, is inconsistent both with justice and mercy; 
therefore no infant can be born with guilt upon its 
head. Those are by nature children of wrath, who 
walk according to the prince of the power of the air, 
the spirit that worketh in the hearts of the children 
of disobedience. Here the apostle gives their evil 
walking, and not anything which is not reduced to act, 
as a reason of their being children of wrath. Besides 
the natural alienation from the internal life of God, as 
they become capable of distinguishing the monitions of 
truth in their consciences, the bonds of corruption are 
often strengthened by habitual indulgence of the car- 



36 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OF 

nal propensities against the sense of duty, and thus 
all who have arrived at such a degree of maturity as 
to be convinced of right and wrong, have sinned and 
come short of the glory of God. 

But whatever Adam's posterity lost through him, is 
fully made up to them in Christ, and undoubtedly his 
mercy and goodness, and the extent of his propitia- 
tion, are apphcable to infants, who have not person- 
ally offended, as to adults who have ; and little chil- 
dren who are taken away before they have sinned, 
may with perfect confidence be resigned as entirely 
safe in the arms of their Saviour, who declared " of 
such is the kingdom of Heaven."* 

ON THE UNIVERSALITY OF THE LIGHT OF CHRIST. 

In reference to the universality of this divine light 
and grace, we believe in accordance with the testi- 
mony of Robert Barclay; "That God, who, out of 
his infinite love sent his Son the Lord Jesus Christ 
into the world, who tasted death for every man, hath 
given to every man, whether Jew or Gentile, Turk or 
Scythian, Indian or barbarian, of whatsoever nation, 
country or place, a certain day or time of visitation, 
during which it is possible for him to be saved and to 
partake of the benefits of Christ's death. That for 
this end he hath communicated to every man, a mea- 
sure of the light of his own Son, a measure of grace 
or of the Spirit, which the Scripture expresses by 
several names, as sometimes of *the seed of the king- 
dom,' ' the light that makes all things manifest,' * the 
word of God,' or ' the manifestation of the Spirit 

* See Barclay's Apology and Phipps' Original and Present State of Man. 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 37 

given to profit withal,' *a talent,' 'a little leaven,' 
' the gospel preached in every creature.' 

" That God, in and by this light and seed, invites, 
calls, exhorts, and strives with every man, in order to 
save him ; which, as it is received and not resisted, 
works the salvation of all, even of those who are 
ignorant of the death and sufferings of Christ and of 
Adam's fall ; both by bringing them to a sense of their 
own misery, and to be sharers in the sufferings of 
Christ inwardly ; and by making them partakers of 
his resurrection in becoming holy, pure and righteous, 
and recovered out of their sins. By which also are 
saved they that have the knowledge of Christ out- 
wardly, in that it opens their understandings rightly 
to use and apply the things delivered in the Scriptures 
and to receive the saving use of them. But that this 
may be resisted and rejected by both ; in which then, 
God is said to be resisted and pressed down, and 
Christ to be again crucified and put to open shame, 
in and among men : and to those who thus resist and 
refuse him, he becomes their condemnation." 

" We do not understand this divine principle to be 
any part of man's nature, nor yet to be any rehc of 
any good which Adam lost by his fall, in that we 
make it a distinct and separate thing from man's soul 
and all the faculties of it. There are some that lean 
to the doctrine of Socinus or Pelagius, who persuade 
themselves through mistake as if this divine light 
which we preach up, were some natural power or fa- 
culty of the soul, and that we only diflTer from them in 
the wording of it, and not in the thing itself Whereas 
there can be no greater difference than is betwixt us 
in that matter ; for we certainly know that this light 



38 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OF 

of which we speak, is not only distinct, but of a dif- 
ferent nature, from the soul of man and its faculties." 

After treating at large upon the universal appear- 
ance of the Holy Spirit to all men, he adds : 

" By this we do not at all intend to equal ourselves 
to that holy Man, the Lord Jesus Christ, who was 
born of the virgin Mary, in whom all the fulness of 
the Godhead dwelt bodily, — so neither do we destroy 
the reality of his present existence. For though we 
affirm that Christ dwells in us, yet not immediately, but 
mediately as he is in that seed which is in us; where- 
as He, the eternal Word, which was with God and was 
God, dwelt immediately in that holy Man. He then 
is as the head and we as the members — he is the vine 
and we the branches." 

And again, "We do not hereby intend any ways 
to lessen or derogate from the atonement and sacrifice 
of Jesus Christ, but on the contrary do magnify and 
exalt it. For as we believe all those things to have 
been certainly transacted which are recorded in the 
Holy Scriptures, concerning the birth, life, miracles, 
sufferings, resurrection and ascension of Christ, so we 
do also believe that it is the duty of every one to be- 
lieve it, to whom it pleases God to reveal the same, 
and to bring them to the knowledge of it; yea, we 
believe it w^ere damnable unbelief not to believe it 
when so declared ; but to resist that Holy seed, which, 
as minded would lead and incline every one to believe 
it, as it is offered unto them ; though it revealeth not in 
every one the outward and explicit knowledge of it, 
yet it always assenteth to it, where it is declared. 

" Nevertheless, as we firmly believe it was neces- 
sary that Christ should come, that by his death and 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 39 

sufferings he might offer up himself a sacrifice to God 
for our sins; who, his own-self bare our sins in his own 
body on the tree, so we believe that the remission of 
sins which any partake of, is only in and by virtue of 
that most satisfactory sacrifice and no otherwise ; for 
it is by the obedience of that one that the free gift is 
come upon all to justification." 

We have thought it proper thus to revive our an- 
cient and acknowledged doctrine, concerning the uni- 
versality and efficacy of the manifestation of the 
Holy Spirit or the Light of Christ, which we believe 
is, in mercy, extended in a greater or less degree, to 
every man without distinction of nation or colour, 
during his day of visitation ; because in reference to 
those who have not been favoured with the knowledge 
of the Holy Scriptures, opinions are afloat, the tenden- 
cy of which is to obscure our well known principle; re- 
presenting the guide of such, in the things pertaining 
to salvation, to be a moral faculty, the light of nature, 
or a sense of the moral law, implanted in the consti- 
tution of man, &c., and denying that the declarations 
of the apostle where he says, " the manifestation of 
the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal," and, 
"The grace of God which bringeth salvation hath 
appeared unto all men," have any reference whatever 
to the circumstances of mankind at large, and that it 
is very doubtful whether the testimony of the evan- 
gelist respecting our Lord Jesus Christ, " that was 
the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh 
into the world," has any such application — sentiments 
with which we have no unity, being repugnant to our 
Christian faith. 

Another reason for setting forth afresh our belief 



40 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OF 

on this point is, that some modern writers, under the 
pretext of upholding the inward light, are promulga- 
ting a system which gives that appellation to a phan- 
tom of their own creating ; and which they also de- 
signate as the light of universal reason, the voice of 
universal conscience, the instinct of Deity, and other 
similar terms ; which they represent as a redeeming 
principle implanted in man's nature, capable of spring- 
ing up and producing all that man can know of God, 
of duty and the soul ; and that the soul of man is 
itself a living fountain of immortal truth. Such de- 
lusive notions are entirely at variance with our Chris- 
tian faith, and appear to us no other than the refined 
speculations of a disguised deism, which virtually 
denies the truth of divine revelation, the divinity of 
Christ, and his various offices in the w^ork of man's 
salvation. 

Our religious Society has never professed or be- 
lieved in any other principle or power in man, to 
redeem him from evil, than the Holy Spirit, the light 
of Christ or the grace of God, which shines in and 
appears unto all men, and was purchased for us by 
the sufferings and death of our Lord Jesus Christ; 
and we consider it a gross abuse and perversion of 
our Christian character and profession, to connect 
them with the erroneous notions above alluded to. 

Various are the specious forms, in w^hich infidelity 
is disguised in the present day, in order to conceal its 
real character, and recommend it to the adoption of 
the inexperienced and unwatchful ; and the nearer it 
counterfeits the truth, the greater is the danger to be 
apprehended from its approaches. 

When once the mind is set afloat on the troubled 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 41 

sea of creaturely imagination and vain speculation, 
no matter at what point in religion it may be aiming, 
it is liable to be tossed about by every wind that blows, 
and to be carried away by every plausible theory or 
argument, which may be started by men of greater 
cunning or more powerful intellect than its own ; and 
having parted from its heavenly Pilot, it is in immi- 
nent danger of making shipwreck of faith and a good 
conscience. 

We feel it to be a duty to warn and caution all 
our members against imbibing or adopting sentiments, 
which would tend, in any wise, to shake their confi- 
dence in the truths of the Christian religion as they 
are recorded in Holy Scripture; and to be careful 
not to put themselves in the way of hearing or read- 
ing any thing which would have such a tendency; it 
having been found by sorrowful experience, that some, 
who thought themselves fortified against a spirit of 
unbelief, have had their religious principles gradually 
undermined, by thus needlessly exposing themselves 
to temptation. 

ON THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 

Our religious Society has always believed that the 
Holy ScrJhtures were written by divine inspiration, 
and contairi a declaration of all the fundamental doc- 
trines and principles relating to eternal life and salva- 
tion; and that whatsoever doctrine or practice is con- 
trary to them, is to be rejected as false and erroneous ; 
that they are a declaration of the mind and will of God 
in and to the several ages in which they were written, 
and are obligatory on us, and are to be read, believed 

6 



42 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OF 

and fulfilled through the assistance of divine grace. 
We esteem it an unspeakable favour that it has pleased 
the Lord to preserve them to us, and the more we 
come under the government of the same spirit which 
inspired the holy men who wrote them, the more truly 
shall we prize them, and delight to read and meditate 
upon the precious truths they contain. 

It continues to be our unabated concern to encou- 
rage all our members to practice the frequent perusal 
of them, with their hearts turned to the Lord, that so 
he may be pleased to open their understandings to 
receive that spiritual benefit which he designs they 
should convey, whether it be in doctrine, correction, 
reproof, or instruction in righteousness, that the man 
of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all 
good works. We also exhort parents and those who 
have the care of children, to educate them in the 
knowledge of the Scriptures, which plainly set forth 
the miraculous birth, holy life, wonderful works, meri- 
torious death, resurrection, glorious ascension, media- 
tion and intercession, of our Lord Jesus Christ, their 
Saviour and Redeemer, and also the blessed gift of 
his light and grace, freely dispensed to every man to 
profit withal. 

While we thus highly value those sacred records, 
and recommend them to the diligent attentioiMof all, we 
also feel jealous for the honour of our Lord 'and Mas- 
ter, and for the glory of the gospel dispensation ; and 
it is our desire, that in setting forth the benefits confer- 
red upon us through the Scriptures, our members may 
be very careful not to be drawn into the adoption of 
sentiments, or the use of terms or phrases, common 
with many in our day, which ascribe to the Scriptures, 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OP FRIENDS. 43 

instead of the Spirit of Christ, the office of bringing 
the soul under a sense of the exceeding sinfulness of 
sin, of enlightening and converting it, of unfolding all 
the duties it is required to perform, and bringing it to 
the saving know^ledge of God and Christ. 

We believe the Holy Scriptures to be the words of 
God, written by holy men as they were moved by the 
Holy Ghost; but to the Saviour of men, and not to the 
Bible, belong the titles of the Word of God, the Bread 
of Life, and the Light. It is He only, who can im- 
part to the soul the sincere milk of the word, and the 
bread and water of life ; who reveals himself and the 
divine law in the hearts of his humble and obedient 
children; and if we would partake of the benefits of 
gospel truth, and come to that knowledge of the Su- 
preme Being and his beloved Son, which is saving, it 
is indispensably necessary that we draw near to Him, 
through the Spirit, who is the way, the truth and the 
life. So far from any advantage arising from setting 
the Holy Scriptures above their true place, and that 
which they claim for themselves, we believe that it is 
productive of serious injury, and may tend to with- 
draw the faith and attention of the visited soul from 
the inward appearance and teachings of Christ, the 
incorruptible Seed and Word of God, by whom alone 
we can be quickened, regenerated and made alive 
unto God. 

In the progress of this great work, he is often pleased 
to make use of the sacred records as a means to in- 
struct, encourage and comfort the awakened mind ; 
which, however, is not to turn its attention to them as 
the guide, and the source of divine light and life, but 
to draw it unto himself, that it may have life, and ex- 



44 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OP 

perience the fulfilment of the promise, " All thy chil- 
dren shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be 
the peace of thy children." " Search the Scriptures, 
said our blessed Lord, to the unbelieving Jews, for in 
them ye think ye have eternal Hfe ; and they are they 
which testify of me ; but ye will not come unto me, 
that ye might have life." It is our sincere engage- 
ment that we may be individually concerned to hold 
and use all the gifts, and the means, which our hea- 
venly Father has graciously provided for our conver- 
sion and furtherance in the way of life and salvation, 
in due reverence and esteem. That to Him, and to 
his beloved Son, and to the word of his grace, the first 
and highest place and honour, may ever, with all hu- 
mility, obedience and fear, be ascribed; and to the 
Holy Scriptures the second place, as a means for 
which w^e are bound to be humbly thankful to him, 
and diligently to improve by the assistance of his 
Spirit, to our everlasting advantage. 

Impressed with the importance of these views, and 
with the danger of being drawn away from a clear 
and full acknowledgment of our doctrine herein, we 
are engaged to revive the following passages from the 
Apology, viz : 

<' From these revelations of the Spirit of God to the 
saints, have proceeded the Scriptures of Truth, which 
contain a faithful historical account of the actings of 
God's people in divers ages, with many singular pro- 
vidences attending them ; a prophetical account of 
several things, whereof some are already past and 
some yet to come ; also an ample account of all the 
chief principles of the doctrine of Christ, held forth in 
divers precious declarations and exhortations, which, 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 45 

by the moving of God's Spirit, were upon sundry oc- 
casions spoken and written unto some churches and 
their pastors. Nevertheless, because they are only a 
declaration of the Fountain and not the Fountain itself, 
they are not to be esteemed the principal ground of 
all truth and knowledge, nor yet the adequate primary 
rule of faith and manners. Yet because they give a 
true and faithful testimony of the first foundation, they 
are, and may be esteemed a secondary rule, subor- 
dinate to the Spirit, from which they have all their 
excellency and certainty. For as by the inward tes- 
timony of the Spirit we do alone truly know them, so 
they testify that the Spirit is that guide by which the 
saints are led into all truth ; therefore according to 
the Scriptures, the Spirit is the first and principal 
leader. Seeing then we do receive and believe the 
Scriptures, because they proceeded from the Spirit, 
for the same reason is the Spirit more originally and 
principally the rule. 

" Though then we do acknowledge the Scriptures 
to be very heavenly and divine writings, and the use 
of them to be very comfortable and necessary to the 
church of Christ; and admire, and give praises to the 
Lord for his wonderful providence in preserving these 
writings so pure and uncorrupted as we have them, 
through so long a night of apostacy, to be a testimony 
of his truth against the wickedness and abominations 
even of those whom he made instrumental in preserv- 
ing them, so that they have kept them to be a witness 
against themselves ; yet we may not call them the 
principal Fountain of all truth and knowledge, nor yet 
the first adequate rule of faith and manners, because 
the principal Fountain of truth, must be the Truth 

5 



46 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY Of 

itself, whose certainty and authority depend not upon 
another. 

" If by the Spirit we can only come to the true know- 
ledge of God ; — if by the Spirit we are to be led into 
all truth, and so be taught of all things; then the Spirit 
and not the Scriptures, is the foundation and ground 
of all truth and knowledge, and the primary rule of 
faith and manners. The very nature of the gospel 
declareth that the Scriptures cannot be the only and 
chief rule of Christians, else there would be no dif- 
ference between the law and the gospel." 
^ " There are numberless things w^ith regard to their 
circumstances which particular Christians may be 
concerned in, for which there can be no particular 
rule had in the Scriptures; therefore the Scriptures 
cannot be a rule to them [in those things.] As for 
instance, some are called to the ministry of the 
word : Paul says there was a necessity laid upon 
him to preach the gospel, and woe is unto me if I 
preach it not. If it be necessary that there be now 
ministers of the church as well as then, there is the 
same necessity upon some more than upon others to 
occupy this place ; which necessity, as it may be in- 
cumbent upon some particular persons, the Scriptures 
neither doth nor can declare. 

" If it be said the qualifications of a minister are 
found in the Scriptures, and by applying these qualifi- 
cations to myself I may know whether I be fit for such 
a place or not, I answer; The qualifications of a 
bishop or minister, as they are mentioned both in the 
Epistle to Timothy and that to Titus, are such as 
may be found in a private Christian, )'ea, which ought 
in some measure to be in every true Christian ; so that 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF TRIENDS. 47 

this giveth a man no certainty. Every capacity to 
an office gives me not a sufficient call to it. Again ; 
by wrhat rule shall I judge if I be so qualified ? How 
do I knov^ that I am sober, meek, holy, harmless ? 
Is it not the testimony of the Spirit in my conscience 
that must assure me hereof? And suppose I was 
qualified and called, yet what Scripture rule shall in- 
form me whether it be my duty to preach in this or 
in that place, in France or England, Holland or 
Germany? Whether I shall take up my time in con- 
firming the faithful, reclaiming heretics, or converting 
infidels, as also in writing epistles to this or that 
church? The general rules of the Scriptures to be 
diligent in my duty; to do all to the glory of God, 
and for the good of his church, can give me no light 
in this thing ; seeing two different things may both 
have a respect to that way; yet I may commit a great 
error and offence in doing the one, when I am called 
to the other. If Paul, when his face was turned by 
the Lord toward Jerusalem, had gone back to Achaia 
or Macedonia, he might have supposed he could have 
done God more acceptable service in preaching and 
confirming the churches, than in being shut up in 
prison in Judea; but would God have been pleased 
herewith? Nay — certainly. Obedience is better than 
sacrifice, and it is not our doing that which is good 
simply, that pleaseth God, but that good which he 
willeth us to do. 

"Moreover, that which, of all things, is most need- 
ful for a Christian to know, viz: whether he really be 
in the faith and an heir of salvation or not, the Scrip- 
ture can give him no certainty in, neither can it be a 
rule to him. That this knowledge is exceedingly de- 



48 THE AXCIE?rT TESTIMONY OF 

sirable and comfortable all do unanimously acknow- 
ledge; besides, it is especially commanded, 'Examine 
yourselves whether ye be in the faith: prove your own 
selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus 
Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates V « Where- 
fore the rather, brethren, give all diligence to make 
your caUing and election sure.' Now I say, what 
Scripture rule can assure me that I have true faith, 
and that my calling and election are sure ?" 

After examining various suggestions he says ; 

*' Moreover the Scripture itself, wherein we are so 
earnestly pressed to seek this assurance, does not at 
all affirm itself a rule sufficient to give it, but wholly 
ascribeth it to the Spirit. * The vSpirit itself beareth 
witness with our spirit that we are the children of 
God.' * Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and 
he in us, because he hath given us of his vSpirit.' 'And 
it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit 
is truth.' " 

" If it then be asked whether I think hereby to ren- 
der the Scriptures altogether uncertain and useless, I 
answer, not at all : Provided, that to the Spirit, from 
which they came, be granted that place which the 
Scriptures themselves give it, I do freely concede tO: 
the Scriptures the second place, even whatsoever they 
say of themselves, which the apostle Paul chiefly 
mentions in two places, viz : * Whatsoever things 
were written aforetime, were written for our learning, 
that we through patience and comfort of the Scrip- 
tures might have hope.' ' The Holy Scriptures are 
able to make wise unto salvation, through faith which 
is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration 
of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 49 

correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the 
man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto 
all good works.' 

" Secondly : God hath seen meet that herein we 
should see as in a looking glass, the conditions and 
experiences of the saints of old, that finding our expe- 
rience to answer to theirs, we might thereby be the 
more confirme^i and comforted, and our hope of ob- 
taining the same end strengthened; that observing the 
providences attending them — seeing the snares they 
w^ere hable to, and beholding their deliverances, we 
may thereby be made wise unto salvation, and sea- 
sonably reproved and instructed in righteousness. — 
This is the great work of the Scriptures, and their 
service to us, that we may witness them fulfilled in us, 
and so discern the stamp of God's Spirit and ways 
upon them, by the inward acquaintance we have with 
the same Spirit and work in our hearts. The pro- 
phecies of the Scriptures are also very comfortable 
and profitable to us, as the same Spirit enhghtens us 
to observe them fulfilled and to be fulfilled. In all this 
it is to be observed, that it is only the spiritual man 
that can make a right use of them : they are able to 
make the man of God perfect ; so it is not the natural 
man. And whatsoever was written aforetime was 
written for our comfort — our, that is, for the believ- 
ers, or for the saints; concerning such the apostle 
speaks. Peter plainly declares, that the unstable and 
unlearned wrest them to their own destruction. These 
were they who were unlearned in the divine and hea- 
venly learning of the Spirit, not in human and school 
literature, in which we may safely presume that Peter 
himself, being a fisherman, had i;\(p skill." 

7 



50 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OF 

In setting forth the use and service of the Holy- 
Scriptures to the church, as a secondary rule, subordi- 
nate to the Spirit of Truth, he further says, " We do 
look upon them as the only fit outward judge of con- 
troversies among Christians, and that whatsoever doc- 
trine is contrary unto their testimony, may therefore 
justly be rejected as false. And for our parts we are 
very wilHng that all our doctrines and practices be 
tried by them ; which we never refused, nor ever 
shall, in all controversies with our adversaries, as the 
judge and test. We shall also be very willing to ad- 
mit it as a positive certain maxim, that whatsoever 
any do, pretending to the Spirit, which is contrary to 
the Scriptures, be accounted and reckoned a delusion 
of the devil. For as we never lay claim to the 
Spirit's leading, that we may cover ourselves in any 
thing that is evil, so we know that as every evil con- 
tradicts the Scriptures, so it doth also the Spirit in the 
first place from which the Scriptures came, and whose 
motions can never contradict one another, though 
they may appear sometimes to be contradictory to the 
blind eye of the natural man." 

JUSTIFICATION. 

The love of ease naturally leads men to prefer an 
assent to the truths of religion, rather than submission 
to the practical operation of it on the heart. It is 
much easier to profess faith in what Christ has suf- 
fered and done for us, than to yield obedience to the 
daily cross, and endure the portion of suffering inse- 
parable from the baptism of the Holy Ghost, by which 
the corruptions of the heart are removed. 



THE HELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 51* 

Prom the rise of the Society, Friends have unequi- 
vocally declared their faith in the efficacy of the pro- 
pitiatory offering w^hich our Lord voluntarily made 
of himself for the sins of the whole world. George 
Fox early testified respecting his crucifixion, that "at 
that time, the sins of all mankind w^ere upon him, and 
their iniquities and transgressions, with which he was 
wounded ; which he was to bear and to be an offering 
for as he was man, but died not as he was God ; so in 
that he died for all men, tasting death for every man, 
he was an offering for the sins of the whole world." 
But while they fully believed that remission of sin and 
reconcihation with God was obtained only through 
Christ and his most satisfactory offering, they also 
beUeved that no man was justified while he continued 
in sin, whatever m.ight be his profession of faith. These 
devoted ministers of the gospel as it was opened to them 
in its primitive purity, accordingly preached in hfe and 
doctrine, the indispensable necessity of holiness, with- 
out which the Scriptures declare, that no man shall 
see the Lord; and they placed justification where the 
apostle places it, in connection with being washed 
and sanctified, but not as preceding sanctification. 

When they went forth in their ministry, they found 
the different professors pleading for the impractica- 
bility of being free from sin in this life, while they 
considered themselves justified by faith in the Lord 
Jesus ; alleging that our sins were imputed to him, that 
he suffered instead of us the penalty of infinite wrath 
and vengeance due to our sins, and thereby fully satis- 
fied divine justice ; and they rested in the false hope, 
that though they lived in sin, Christ was their surety 
and they were saved by his imputed righteousness. 



52 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OP 

They argued, that as God has made Christ to be sin 
I for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the 

righteousness of God in him, therefore as our sin is 
imputed to Christ, who had no sin, so Christ's righte- 
ousness is imputed to us, without our being righteous. 
Friends bore a decided testimony against this sin- 
pleasing doctrine, declaring that were the sentiment 
admitted, that God was so reconciled with men as to 
esteem them just while they were unjust and continu- 
ing in sin, he would have no controversy with them, 
which would make void the great practical doctrines 
of repentance, conversion and regeneration. Though 
Christ bore our sins, suffered for us, and among men 
was accounted a sinner, yet they denied that God ever 
reputed him a sinner, or that he died that we should 
be reputed righteous, though no more really so than he 
was a sinner. They understood the apostle, when he 
speaks of our being made the righteousness of God 
in Christ, to mean, that we are to be made really 
righteous, and not by imputation merely ; for he ar- 
gues against any agreement between righteousness and 
unrighteousness, light and darkness. Our Lord, in all 
his doctrines and precepts, enforces the necessity of 
good works ; and although properly speaking, we are 
not justified for them, yet we are justified in them, 
agreeably to the apostle James, " Ye see then how 
that by works a man is justified, and not by faith 
only." " For as the body without the spirit is dead, 
even so faith without works is dead also." 

We apprehend that some may be in danger of fall- 
ing back into the errors against which our early 
Friends testified ; and while endeavouring to counter- 
act the spirit of infidelity, which denies the propitia- 



I 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 53 

tory efficacy of the death of Christ, they may run 
into the contrary extreme of attributing the justifica- 
tion of the ungodly to a professed refiance on the 
atonement and an imputed righteousness, without ex- 
periencing true repentance and the sanctification of 
the Spirit. To the repenting, returning sinner, who of 
himself has nothing on which to rest his hope of for- 
giveness and acceptance with his offended Maker, the 
mediation, intercession, and propitiation of the Re- 
deemer of lost man, is inexpressibly precious. It is 
through Him alone that the door of hope is opened, 
and all who receive into their hearts the gift of grace 
which comes by Him, and yield to its convicting 
power, by which alone they can be brought to see 
their sinful state and to repent as in dust and ashes, 
will in the Lord's time, through faith and submission 
to him, know the blood of Christ to cleanse them from 
all sin, and from the guilt of sin. 

Robert Barclay lays down the doctrine of Justifica- 
tion in these terms : ** As many as resist not the fight 
of Christ, but receive the same, it becomes in them a 
holy, pure and spiritual birth, bringing forth holiness, 
righteousness, purity and all those other blessed fruits 
which are acceptable to God; by which holy birth, 
to wit, Jesus Christ formed within us, and working 
his works in us, as we are sanctified, so are we justi- 
fied in the sight of God, according to the apostle's 
words ; ' But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but 
ye are justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and 
by the Spirit of our God.' Therefore it is not by our 
works wrought in our will, nor yet by good w^orks 
considered as of themselves, but by Christ who is 
both the gift and the giver, and the cause producing 

8 



54 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OF 

the effects in us, who as he hath reconciled us while 
we were enemies, doth also in his wisdom save and 
justify us after this manner, as saith the same apostle 
elsewhere ; ' Not by works of righteousness which we 
have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, 
by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the 
Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly through 
Jesus Christ our Saviour; that, being justified by his 
grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope 
of eternal life. This is a faithful saying ; and these 
things I will that thou affirm constantly; that they 
which have believed in God might be careful to main- 
tain good works.' " 

"We renounce all natural power and ability in our- 
selves, to bring us out of our lost and fallen condition 
and first nature ; and confess that as of ourselves we 
are able to do nothing that is good ; so neither can we 
procure remission of sins or justification by any act of 
our own, so as to merit it or draw it as a debt from God 
due unto us; but we acknowledge all to be of and from 
his love, which is the original and fundamental cause 
of our acceptance. 

" God manifested this love towards us, in the sending 
of his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, into the 
world, who gave himself an offering for us and a sacri- 
fice to God, for a sweet smelling savour ; and having 
made peace through the blood of the cross, that he might 
reconcile us unto himself, and by the eternal Spirit offer- 
ed himself without spot unto God ; suffered for our sins, 
the just for the unjust, that he might bring us unto 
God. 

"For as much then as all men who have come to 
man's estate (the man Jesus only excepted) have sinned, 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 55 

therefore all have need of this Saviour, to remove the 
wrath of God from them due to their offences. In 
this respect he is truly said to have borne the iniqui- 
ties of us all in his body on the tree ; and therefore is 
the only Mediator, having qualified the wrath of God 
towards us, so that our former sins stand not in our 
way, being by virtue of his most satisfactory sacrifice 
removed and pardoned. Neither do we think that re- 
mission of sins is to be expected, sought or obtained 
any other way, or by any work or sacrifice whatso- 
ever ; though they may come to partake of this remis- 
sion who are ignorant of the history. So then Christ 
by his death and sufferings hath reconciled us to God, 
even while we are enemies ; that is, he offers recon- 
ciliation unto us ; we are put into a capacity of being 
reconciled. God is willing to forgive us our iniquities 
and to accept us, as is well expressed by the apostle ; 
* God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, 
not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath put 
in us the word of reconciliation.' And therefore in 
the next verses, the apostle entreats them in Christ's 
stead, to be reconciled to God ; intimating that the 
wrath of God being removed by the obedience of 
Christ Jesus, he is willing to be reconciled unto them, 
and ready to remit the sins that are past, if they re- 
pent. 

" We consider then our redemption in a two-fold 
respect, both which in their own nature are perfect, 
though in their application to us, the one is not nor 
can be, without respect to the other. The first is the 
redemption performed and accomplished by Christ for 
us in his crucified body without us : the other is the re- 
demption wrought by Christ in us, which is no less pro- 



56 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OF 

perly called and accounted a redemption than the for- 
mer. The first is that whereby a man, as he stands in 
the fall, is put in a capacity of salvation, and hath con- 
veyed unto him a measure of that power, virtue, spirit, 
life and grace that was in Christ Jesus, which as the 
free gift of God is able to counterbalance, overcome and 
root out the evil seed, wherewith we are naturally as 
in the fall leavened. 

" Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation 
through faith in his blood, to declare his righteous- 
ness for the remission of sins that are past, through 
the forbearance of God." Here the apostle holds 
forth the extent and efficacy of Christ's death, show- 
ing that thereby and by faith therein, remission of 
sins that are past is obtained, as being that wherein 
the forbearance of God is exercised towards man- 
kind. So that though men for the sins they daily com- 
mit deserve eternal death and that the wrath of God 
should lay hold upon them, yet by virtue of that most 
satisfactory sacrifice of Christ Jesus, the grace and 
seed of God moves in love towards them during the 
day of their visitation ; yet not so as not to strike 
against the evil, for that must be burned up and des- 
troyed, but to redeem man out of the evil. 

" By the second we witness this capacity brought 
into act, whereby receiving and not resisting the light, 
spirit, and grace of Christ revealed in us, which is 
the purchase of his death, we witness and possess a 
real, true and inward redemption from the power and 
prevalency of sin, and so come to be really redeemed, 
justified and made righteous, and to a sensible union 
and friendship with God. Thus he died for us, that he 
might redeem us from all iniquity; and thus we 'know 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 57 

him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellow- 
ship of his sufferings, being made conformable to his 
death.' " 

Richard Claridge on the subject of justification, 
says : — 

" In a word, if justification be considered in its full 
and just latitude, neither Christ's work without us in 
the prepared body, nor his work within us by his Holy 
Spirit, is to be excluded, for both have their place and 
service in our complete and absolute justification. By 
the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ without us, we 
truly repenting and believing, are, through the mercy 
of God, justified from the imputations of sins and 
transgressions that are past, as though they had never 
been committed : and by the mighty work of Christ 
within us, the power, nature, and habits of sin are 
destroyed; that as sin once reigned unto death, even so 
now grace reigneth, through righteousness, unto eter- 
nal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord. All this is effected, 
not by a bare or naked act of faith, separate from 
obedience, but in the obedience of faith, Christ being 
the author of eternal salvation to none but those that 
obey him.'* 

To those who receive him in his spiritual appear- 
ance in the heart, whether they have ever heard of 
his coming in the flesh or not, he gives power to be- 
come the sons of God ; and if any through weakness 
or unwatchfulness fall again into sin, he is their pro- 
pitiation, and will forgive and blot out their transgres- 
sion, if they turn again to Him and sincerely repent. 
As the Lord Jesus is thus revealed in them, converting, 
regenerating and renewing the soul by his Holy Spirit, 
if they persevere in faithfulness, they experience Him 



58 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OF 

to be made unto them of God, wisdom, righteous- 
ness, sanctification and redemption ; they are made 
one with Him, as the branches with the vine ; they 
put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and in their respective 
measures are made partakers of the divine nature, and 
of what he has done for them ; so that his obedience 
becomes theirs, his righteousness theirs, his death and 
sufferings theirs. Thus they are renewed up into the 
image which Adam lost by transgression, and walking 
in the light, as God is in the Hght, they have fellowship 
one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his 
Son cleanses them from all sin. 

BAPTISM AND THE SUPPER. 

The subjects of water baptism and the use of 
bread and wine, have recently engaged much atten- 
tion among Christian professors, and we trust the 
minds of many are gradually preparing for the recep- 
tion of views respecting them, more consonant with 
the spirituality of the gospel dispensation. It is there- 
fore highly important, that our members should faith- 
fully support our testimony in these particulars, and be 
careful not to be *< entangled with the yoke of bond- 
age;" " the beggarly elements and carnal ordinances," 
from which our forefathers were redeemed by the out- 
stretched arm of divine power. 

We should ever bear in mind that, the Son of God 
came into the world to put an end to sin, to finish trans- 
gression, and to bring in everlasting righteousness; and 
that if this all-important work is accomplished, it must 
be carried on and perfected in the heart of man by the 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 59 

Spirit of God — no outward ceremonies can ever effect 
it. The dispensation of types and shadows, with its 
" divers washings" or baptisms, was finished and passed 
away when our blessed Lord was crucified ; and was 
succeeded by the more glorious dispensation of the gos- 
pel, which is spirit and life to the penitent and obedi- 
ent soul. The Holy Scriptures plainly declare that 
there is now but one baptism; and that this one bap- 
tism saves the soul ; " not by the putting away of the 
filth of the flesh, but by the answer of a good con- 
science towards God, by the resurrection of Jesus 
Christ." Few of the advocates^ of water baptism con- 
tend that it is necessary to salvation ; while the New 
Testament uniformly represents the baptism of Christ, 
which is with the Holy Ghost and fire, as effectual in 
purifying the soul from the defilement of sin, and con- 
sequently essential to its salvation. 

The forerunner of our Lord testified, " 1 indeed 
baptize you with water unto repentance ; but he that 
Cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am 
not worthy to bear; He shall baptize you with the 
Holy Ghost and fire; whose fan is in his hand, and he 
will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat 
into the garner, but he will burn up the chaff with 
unquenchable fire." These striking figures are a lively 
representation of the work of the Holy Spirit in the 
hearts of those who submit to his operations, where- 
by they are thoroughly refined from the pollution of 
sin, and the transgressing nature winnowed away, so 
as to prepare the soul for being gathered into the hea- 
venly garner. 

To those who thus yield themselves to this fiery 
baptism, and follow Christ in the regeneration, the 



60 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OF 



^ 



apostle addresses this language ; " ye are complete in 
Him, who is the head of all principality and power : 
in whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcis- 
ion made without hands, in putting off the body of the 
sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ ; buried 
with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with 
him, through the faith of the operation of God, who 
raised him from the dead." 

As many as are thus baptized into Jesus Christ, 
are baptized into his death ; and like as Christ was 
raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, 
even so these also walk in newness of life. " They 
have put on Christ," and " become new creatures ; 
old things are passed aw^ay ; behold all things are be- 
come new, and all things of God." This, and this 
only, is the baptism of the gospel, and this is com- 
plete and effectual in itself; without the addition of 
any outward washing or sprinkling, — which relate to 
the body only, and can never affect the soul. 

Our views respecting the participation of the Lord's 
supper, are of the same character. The passover 
supper, at which Jesus gave the bread and wine to 
his disciples, was abolished, with the rest of the Jewish 
ceremonies, at his death ; and although the disciples, 
from their attachment to the law of Moses, practised 
it after that event, as they did circumcision, and ab- 
staining from blood and from things strangled ; yet we 
find nothing in Scripture to warrant the assumption 
that it is a standing ordinance in Christ's church 
He himself declares, " except ye eat the flesh of the 
Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in 
you : whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, 
hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the Jast 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 61 

day ; for my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is 
drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh 
my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him." When his 
disciples murmured at this doctrine, he told them, " It 
is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing ; 
the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and 
they are life." 

We believe that this communion of the body and 
blood of Christ, without which we cannot have eter- 
nal life, is inward and spiritual, — a real participation 
of his divine nature, through faith in him, and obedi- 
ence to his Spirit in the heart; by which the inward man 
is daily nourished and strengthened, and kept aUve un- 
to God. This is the true communion of saints, in and 
with Christ Jesus their Lord, and it is not confined^to 
those who have the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, 
or of the coming and sufferings and death of the Son 
of God, as the propitiation for sin; but is graciously 
granted to every sincere and obedient soul, who is 
faithful to the degree of light and knowledge with 
which it is favoured, agreeably to the testimony of 
our Lord himself; " Behold I stand at the door and 
knock : if any man hear my voice and open the door, 
I will come in to him and sup with him, and he with 
me." 

Having thus set forth the views which we as a peo- 
ple have always believed and maintained, in regard to 
these important doctrines, we think it right renewedly 
to call the attention of our members to some of those 
Christian testimonies, into which the Lord was pleased 
to lead our worthy predecessors, and which it is no 
less obligatory on us faithfully to uphold at the pre- 
sent day. 



62 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OF 

DIVINE WORSHIP. 

Divine vv^orship is the highest and most important 
duty in which the mind of man can be engaged. It 
is no less than holding intercourse with the Father of 
Spirits, and offering the tribute of homage and adora- 
tion to "the High and lofty One, who inhabiteth eter- 
nity, whose name is Holy;" but who condescends also, 
to "dwell with him that is of a contrite and humble 
spirit; to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive 
the heart of the contrite ones." This solemn act is 
not dependent upon, or necessarily connected with, 
any thing which one man can do for another; but 
must be performed between the soul and its Almighty 
Cj^atoT ; for " God is a Spirit, and they that worship 
him, must worship him in spirit and in truth." 

Acceptable worship cannot be offered, but through 
the assistance of the Spirit of Christ; he being our 
Mediator by whom only we can approach unto God, 
and from whom we must derive, for this engagement, 
both "the preparation of the heart and the answer of 
the tongue." In order to experience this necessary quali- 
fication, it is our duty to have the mind withdrawn 
from all outward objects, and reverently and humbly 
to wait upon the Lord in the silence of all flesh ; that 
so he may be pleased, through the revelation of his 
Spirit, to give us a true sense of our needs and a 
knowledge of his will, and enable us to offer a sacri- 
fice well-pleasing in his sight, whether it be in silent 
mental adoration ; the secret breathing of the soul 
unto Him ; in the public ministry of the gospel, or vo- 
cal prayer or thanksgiving. Those who thus wait 
upon the Lord, and depend upon the assistance of his 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 63 

Spirit, will often be favoured with a broken and con- 
trite heart, a sacrifice which, it is declared, He will 
not despise — their spiritual strength will be renewed, 
and they will experience a growth and establishment 
in the blessed truth. These, however small their num- 
ber or remote and solitary their situation may be, are 
the true worshippers whom the Father seeketh to wor- 
ship him; and to whom the Lord Jesus will fulfil his 
gracious promise, "Where two or three are gathered 
together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." 
We tenderly entreat all to be constant in assembling 
with their brethren on first-days, and other days of the 
week when meetings for Divine Worship are held, in 
order to bear a pubHc testimony to our dependence 
upon the Father of mercies, for the blessings we en- 
joy, and to experience a renewal of our ability to live 
in his fear, and to labour in his blessed cause and ser- 
vice. Let us not suffer the improper influence of tem- 
poral things, an indifferent or lifeless state of mind, 
the smallness of the number who meet, or the absence 
of a vocal ministry, to discourage us from diligently 
attending all our religious meetings ; remembering that 
it is our reasonable service to present our bodies a 
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God. Where 
this is the sincere engagement of those gathered, 
whether it may please him to authorize any public 
ministry or not, the great minister of the sanctuary, 
Christ Jesus, will, in his own time, dispense to the wait- 
ing soul, that divine consolation or instruction which 
He sees to be best for it. Let none then, be w^eary or 
ashamed of our ancient and noble testimony to the 
excellence of silent w^aiting upon God ; it having been 
found, in the experience of many of his servants, a 



64 ' THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OF 

most profitable exercise of mind, and one which he 
has graciously been pleased eminently to own and 
bless. 

MINISTRY. 

As it is the prerogative of the great Head of the 
church alone to select and call the ministers of his 
gospel, so we believe both the gift, and the qualifi- 
cation to exercise it, must be derived immediately 
from Him ; — and that as in the primitive church, so 
now also, he confers them on women as well as on 
men, agreeably to the prophecy recited by the apostle 
Peter, " It shall come to pass in the last days, saith 
God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and 
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy ;" '' and 
on my servants and on my handmaidens, I will pour 
out, in those days, of my Spirit ; and they shall pro- 
phesy :" respecting which the apostle declares, " the 
promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all 
that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God 
shall call." 

The gift being free, the exercise of it is to be with- 
out money and without price, agreeably to the com- 
mand of our Lord, " freely ye have received, freely 
give." 

The apostle Paul, in speaking of his ministry de- 
clares, " I neither received it from man, neither was 
I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ;" that 
the exercise of it was " not in the words which man's 
wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth;" 
and that his " speech and his preaching was not with 
enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration 
of the Spirit and of power ; that the faith of his hear- 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY j^^ FRIENDS. 65 

ers might not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the 
power of God." We believe that the experience of 
every true minister of Christ will correspond with that 
of the apostle ; and therefore, our religious Society, 
from its first rise, has borne a constant and faithful 
testimony against a man-made and hireling ministry, 
which derives its authority and qualification from hu- 
man learning and ordination; which does not recog- 
nise a direct divine call to this solemn w^ork, nor ac- 
knowledge its dependence for the performance of it, 
upon the renewed motions and assistance of the Holy 
Spirit, vouchsafed on every occasion ; and which re- 
ceives pay for preaching. 

We apprehend, that the selection of one man to 
speak to an assembly, who is always to perform that 
service at the stated times of meeting, whether di- 
vinely called to it and assisted, or not ; to the exclu- 
sion of all others, whatever may be their religious 
exercises or apprehended duty, is an unauthorized as- 
sumption of power, greatly prejudicial to the welfare 
of the church; and a direct interference with the di- 
vine prerogative of Christ, whose right it is to dispense 
his gifts to whom he will, as saith the apostle, " to one 
is given, by the Spirit, the word of wisdom ; to ano- 
ther the word of knowledge, by the same Spirit ; to 
another faith; to another the gifts of healing- — to ano- 
ther the working of miracles — to another prophecy — 
to another discerning of spirits — to another divers 
kinds of tongues — to another the interpretation of 
tongues : But all these worketh that one and the self 
same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he 
will." 

It is our earnest concern, that none of our mem- 

9 



66 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONF OP 

bers may countenance or encourage a hirelins: and 
man-made ministry, by attending at places where it 
is allowed, or in any other way ; but that all may 
faithfully uphold our Christian testimony herein, for 
which our forefathers suffered deeply, both in their 
property and persons, many of them even unto death. 

PRAYER. 

Prayer is a duty inseparable from the life and 
growth of a Christian. Whenever he is upon the 
watch, it is the clothing of his spirit. He cannot main- 
tain the watch against the insidious machinations of 
his unwearied enemy, without the constant aid of the 
Holy Spirit. This Spirit, which reminds him of his 
need of holy aspirations to the throne of grace for 
preservation, and for forgiveness of his misteps when off 
the watch, influences and prepares his heart to breathe 
forth fervent desires before the Lord, for strength to 
stand against the wiles of the devil, that he may be 
built up and preserved upon the Rock Christ Jesus. 
When through divine love he is made sensible of the 
Lord's holy presence, prayer or praise arises in his 
soul ; and thus he is permitted to hold communion 
wdth the Father of mercies, the God of all consola- 
tion. But it is only through the Spirit of our Holy 
Intercessor and Advocate with the Father, that the 
heart is thus influenced and enabled to put up availing 
prayer. None need doubt that this indispensable quali- 
fication will be furnished if they humbly seek it, and are 
obedient to the divine will in this and other duties. 

At those seasons of divine visitation, when the con- 
victions of that grace which strives with all to save 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 67 

them, are pressing upon the rebellious transgressor, as 
they are yielded to, a cry for mercy and forgiveness is 
raised by the Holy Spirit in the heart, which will reach 
the gracious ear of Him against whom they have 
sinned, and will be accepted. 

Were the command of our Lord to " watch and 
pray continually," Uved up to, there would be no for- 
mal prayers; and where that is not regarded, formal 
prayers will not avail as a substitute. Many of our early 
Friends had been educated in the habit of " saying their 
prayerS;" as it is termed, at stated periods ; and when 
it was given them, in the light of Christ Jesus, to see 
their own conditions, and that he required a thorough 
change of heart, they were convinced that those cus- 
tomary prayers, in which the spirit of supplication 
was not poured forth from on high upon the indi- 
vidual, would not avail anything, and they were res- 
trained from the practice and from teaching them to 
their children. They clearly saw and felt, that He 
only, to whom the apostles applied, could teach them 
how to pray and what to pray for; under his gui- 
dance their hves became lives of prayer and watch- 
fulness, and many of them attained to an extraordi- 
nary growth and fixedness in the blessed truth. 

Like the qualification for gospel ministry, we have 
always believed that the putting forth of the Shepherd 
of Israel is requisite for the duty of vocal prayer in our 
rehgious assemblies, a service in which the spiritual 
worshipper can fervently and cordially unite, when 
it is performed under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. 
It is one of the most solemn acts in which man can 
be engaged, and when prostrated in the presence of 
the great I AM, our words should be few and weigh- 



68 THE AJfCIEXT TESTIMONY OV 

ty. "We would carefully avoid discouraging any from 
a faithful compliance with this duty, when divinely 
opened to theai : but there is need of caution, lest any 
fall into a habit of kneeling in meetings, as lliough they 
could hardly be commenced or concluded properly, 
w^ithout vocal addresses of this nature. Such a prac- 
tice tends to lessen that reverence and holy fear, which 
all ought scrupulously to maintain in approaching the 
sacred presence ; and meetings are greatly injured by 
such unauthorized communications, — sometimes run- 
ning into lifeless declaration, and also asking amiss, 
which bring death over a meeting instead of life, and 
eclipse the excellency of the gift of prayer. 

May all then be watchful and attentive to the gentle 
intimations of our holy high Priest, who will clothe 
with deep humility and awe; and when he sees it pro- 
per, will grant to his servants the spirit of supplication, 
and strengthen them to offer living prayers, with the 
spirit and with the understanding also, which will find 
acceptance with him, and tend to the refreshment of 
his church and people. 

WAR. 

It being the nature and design of the Christian re- 
ligion, to subject the angry and revengeful passions of 
human nature to its benign influence and government ; 
those who have fully submitted to its transforming 
power, must necessarily be redeemed from the spirit 
in which wars and fightings originate. The gospel of 
Christ breathes peace on earth and good will to men, — 
and the precepts of its divine Author entirely preclude 
the indulgence of a disposition which would resent an 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 69 

injury or inflict one upon a fellow creature. Ye have 
heard, says he, " that it hath been said, an eye for an 
eye, and a tooth for a tooth ; but I say unto you that 
ye resist not evil ; but whosoever shall snnite thee on 
thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." " I say 
unto you, love your enemies; bless them that curse 
you ; do good to them that hate you, and pray for 
them that despitefully use you and persecute you, that 
ye may be the children of your Father which is in 
heaven." If then we would be children of God, 
and joint heirs with Christ, we must love our enemies 
instead of hating them, — do good to them, instead 
of injuring them; and not seek to avenge ourselves 
for wrongs which may be inflicted upon us. 

It is also worthy of our serious consideration, that 
in our Lord's instructions on the subject of prayer, we 
are taught that the measure of the forgiveness which 
we receive from our heavenly Father, will be that 
which we exercise toward our fellow men. " Forgive 
us our debts, — as we forgive our debtors." " And 
when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught 
against any, that your Father also, which is in heaven, 
may forgive you your trespasses." " But if ye forgive 
not men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly 
Father forgive you." Thus it is evident, that the 
Spirit of the gospel is that of universal love and 
forgiveness ; and wherever these plain and unalterable 
commands of Christ are duly regarded, strife, malevo- 
lence and discord, must come to an end ; '* violence 
will no more be heard in the land, wasting or destruc- 
tion within its borders;" but the prediction will be ful- 
filled, "they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, 
and their spears into pruning hooks ; nation shall not 



70 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OF 

lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn 
war any more." When we contemplate these blessed 
effects of the religion of the Prince of peace, and con- 
trast them with the fierce and cruel passions which 
rage upon the battle-field; the injuries inflicted by 
man upon his fellow ; how many immortal spirits are 
hurried unprepared, into an awful eternity, — guilty 
perhaps of a brother's blood ; the cry of the mourning 
widow and of the bereaved orphan ; how mournful is 
the prospect, and how deeply is it to be deplored, that 
any of the professors of the Christian name should 
countenance a system, so directly opposed to the pre- 
cepts of Christ, and so offensive in the sight of heaven. 
Although our portion of the land has been long ex- 
empted, through divine favour, from the desolating 
scourge of war, and the members of our religious So- 
ciety have not been called to suffer as in former years, 
in support of our testimony on this subject, — yet we 
greatly desire, that in this day of ease, we may not 
become indifferent to its importance, or in any degree 
relax in its faithful maintenance. We feel a fear, lest 
some among us, for w^ant of due consideration, may 
be induced to pay those pecuniary demands, which 
are exacted bv the laws, in lieu of militarv service, or 
connive at, or encourage the payment of them by 
others, — a practice highly discreditable to any making 
profession of the truth, and against which we feel 
bound to bear our testimony. However remote the 
connexion may seem, between the payment of such 
a fine and the cruel operations of active warfare, they 
are parts of the same iniquitous system. The exac- 
tion of such fines, is also an infringement of our liberty 
of conscience ; inasmuch as it requires us to pay for 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 71 

the exercise of a religious scruple, the free enjoyment 
of which is a natural and inalienable right. We are 
therefore engaged again to press upon all, the upright 
and faithful support of our testimony in this respect ; 
and where a distraint or imprisonment is the conse- 
quence, to bear it in a meek and becoming spirit, so 
as to evince that we are actuated by religious mo- 
tives. Meetings are enjoined to be careful annually 
to collect and forward such accounts, agreeably to 
ancient usage. 

SLAVERY. 

We wish, renewedly, to call the attention of Friends, 
to the righteous testimony which our religious Society 
has long borne against holding our fellow men in bond- 
age. When we remember that the victims of this 
system of wickedness and cruelty, are our brethren ; 
children of the same universal parent ; for whose souls 
Christ died as well as for ours, and that they are de- 
signed to be fellow- heirs with us of immortality and 
eternal life, — the sufferings, the degradation and the 
wrongs they endure, cannot but awaken our sympa- 
thies, and incite the inquiry what the Lord is calling 
for at our hands, in their behalf The sin of slavery, 
with its multitude of attendant evils, hangs as a dark 
cloud over our land, and portends the approaching in- 
fliction of divine judgments. We continue to feel an 
unabated concern for the spread of the testimony 
against slavery in the earth; believing that as the 
spirit of the gospel is suffered to prevail among the 
professors of the sacred name of Christ, it will bring 
with it peace on earth and good will to men, without 



72 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OF 

distinction of nation or colour ; — " will loose the bands 
of wickedness, undo the heavy burdens, break every 
yoke, and let the oppressed go free.*' 

Our forefathers engaged in this concern, under the 
constraining influence of religious duty and a sense of 
justice: and as they endeavoured to prosecute the 
work with a steady reference to the guidance of "the 
wisdom which cometh down from above; which is 
first pure, then peaceable, gentle and easy to be en- 
treated, full of mercy and good fruits ; without parti- 
ality and without hypocrisy," it pleased the Lord 
eminently to bless the labours of the Society. Know- 
ing that times and seasons are not at our command, 
but are in the hand of Him who can turn the hearts 
of men, as a man turneth a water-course in his field, 
they endeavoured, in their public labours for the pro- 
motion of this w'orthy cause, to feel the way open; 
to w^atch the pointing of the Divine finger, and to 
move in his fear and counsel. Thus they were pre- 
served from rash and imprudent action ; from intem- 
perate zeal, and from being swayed by animal excite- 
ments, which often impel those who yield to their in- 
fluence, into measures, which, instead of promoting, 
retard or frustrate, the objects which they professedly 
have in view. 

When a fierce and angry spirit is indulged, even in 
opposing what is glaringly wrong, it raises a corres- 
pondent feeling in those against whose conduct it is 
directed; and closes the mind against the force of 
those arguments, which, if presented in the meek and 
gentle spirit of the gospel, would probably produce 
conviction. 

We would caution all our members, to beware of 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 73 

a spirit of this description, on the subject of slavery; 
and to take care that in the anxiety to be doing some- 
thing, — pohtical motives, party feelings, unsound prin- 
ciples, and other influences equally at variance with 
a right exercise of mind, be not mixed up with it ; to 
the great injury of the cause, and of the individuals 
who sufl^er themselves to be drawn into such coalitions. 
While, therefore, we would encourage all our mem- 
bers to dwell under a lively feeling of the wrongs of our 
fellow men, and of the enormity of the system by 
which they are enslaved and oppressed,— -we believe 
their safety and preservation as individuals, and the 
progress of this righteous testimony, so far as respects 
our religious Society, very much depend upon their 
keeping within its bosom in their efforts to promote 
it ; and carefully attending to the unfoldings of duty in 
their own breasts, by which they would be kept from 
joining in associations, or engaging in measures, which, 
however plausible they may appear, would endanger 
their growth in best things, and their stability and use- 
fulness as members of the body. 

TRADE AND LIVING. 

We believe the call of the Lord is renewedly ex- 
tended to us as a people, at the present time, to come 
back to the example set us by our primitive worthies, 
in regard to moderation in trade and business, and 
simplicity and humility in the style and furniture of 
our houses, — in our manner of hving, and in dress, ad- 
dress and demeanour; that so we may again faithfully 
uphold our testimony in these respects, in support of 
which they underwent much reproach and suflering. 

7 



74 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OF 

Their eye being directed toward an enduring inher- 
itance, and their hearts set upon things above, they 
sought not after greatness in this world, but passed the 
time of their sojourning here in watchfuhiess and fear, 
and in great simplicity of heart, as well as of living 
and demeanour ; endeavouring by their integrity and 
uprightness, and the purity of their example, to reach 
the divine witness in all, and to promote the love of 
truth and righteousness among men. In minds thus 
bent on seeking a more glorious inheritance than the 
things of time can afford, the love of the world could 
have little influence. They were bright examples of 
justice, of moderation in business, in their houses, their 
dress and language, and of the self-denial which the 
gospel enjoins, in all their conduct and conversation. 

But, dear Friends, has not a departure from this sim- 
plicity and heavenly mindedness, led many among us 
into the love and eager pursuit of the riches and hon- 
our of the present world ; producing the fruits of pride, 
emulation, and a love of grandeur; bringing in many 
imaginary wants and foolish fashions; to satisfy which, 
has led into hazardous speculations and a pursuit of 
business, incompatible with our holy profession ; which 
has engrossed the time and talents, so as to leave but 
little of either, or of incUnation, to attend to the mo- 
mentous concerns of religion, to the right education 
of their children, or the promotion of the welfare of 
our fellow men. The mind thus absorbed and encum- 
bered, is unfitted for religious thoughtfulness, as well as 
religious service; and for breathing daily after the 
spiritual riches, which are enjoyed in humble commu- 
nion with God. 

We believe that the pecuniary distress which pre- 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OP FRIENDS. 75 

vails so extensively over our country, and those con- 
vulsions which have swept away from many, a large 
portion of their property, are dispensations permitted 
by infinite Wisdom, to show us the vanity and uncer- 
tainty of all temporal possessions, and to turn the 
minds of the people to the necessity of endeavouring 
to lay up treasure in heaven, " where neither moth 
nor rust corrupts, and where thieves do not break 
through and steal." 

Fervent is the solicitude we feel, that we may all 
"hear the rod, and him who hath appointed it;" and 
be deeply engaged to have our affections weaned from 
the perishing things of this hfe, and fixed upon that 
which is to come. Thus would our desires be moder- 
ated, and our wants circumscribed by the limitations of 
the holy truth ; — pride, avarice and ambition, would be 
laid in the dust, and we should be constrained, by the 
love of God shed abroad in our hearts, to seek first 
the kingdom of heaven, and the righteousness there- 
of, — in the humble reliance, that He who knoweth 
what things we have need of before we ask him, will 
not fail to grant them unto us. In this lowly, humble 
state of mind, the desire to accumulate money, or to 
make an appearance in the world corresponding with 
others, would be mortified and subdued ; and as the 
meek and self-denying followers of Him, who though 
Lord of all, had not whereon to lay his head, we 
should be contented with that simplicity and modera- 
tion which comport with our Christian profession, 
and receive with grateful hearts, whatever our hea- 
venly Father saw meet to dispense. 

May such as have lost much of their earthly sub- 
stance, endeavour to profit by the dispensation, as a 



76 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OF 

fatherly correction from the hand of Him, who afflict- 
eth not wilhngly; and cheerfully accommodate them- 
selves to the change in their circumstances, by a cor- 
respondent reduction in their expenses, rather than 
seek to recover what they have lost, by an undue ex- 
tension of business. 

We affectionately and earnestly warn all to " take 
heed and beware of covetousness, which is idolatry;" 
w^hether it be in making haste to be rich by embark- 
ing in large business, or by indulging a penurious and 
hoardhig disposition in a smaller way. It is a saying 
which experience abundantly verifies, that '* they that 
will be rich, fall into temptation and a snare, and into 
many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in 
destruction and perdition : for the love of money is 
the root of all evil, which, while some have coveted 
after, they have erred from the faith and pierced them- 
selves through w4th many sorrow^s." 

One of the great deceptions to which mankind are 
liable, is looking for happiness where it is not to be 
found ; and being ensnared by the love of the world 
and the deceitfuhiess of riches, they miss the true en- 
joyment, as well as the great object, of life, which are 
only to be found in the love and service of God. 

May all then abide under the daily cross, whereby 
the earthly mind, which hath its delight in the plea- 
sures and treasures, and fashions of the world, may 
be crucified ; that being redeemed out of these things, 
which so manifestly hinder the progress of the soul 
heavenward, we may become, more and more, a seri- 
ous and self-denying people, adorning the doctrine of 
God our Saviour in all things. 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 77 

PARENTS AND QHILDREN. 

We affectionately entreat those who are placed in 
the responsible stations of parents and caretakers of 
children, to endeavour to train them up, by precept and 
example, in a holy life and conversation, and in sim- 
plicity and plainness of attire and language ; remem- 
bering that they are precious lambs entrusted to their 
care, by the great Shepherd of the sheep, to whom 
they must give an account for their souls, in the day 
when he shall make inquisition into their stewardship. 
Much depends upon the example set before them ; the 
minds of children being very quick in discerning what 
objects have the first place in the affections of those 
who are over them. 

If they see that the parents' hearts are set upon the 
things of this life — that they are fond of making a 
show and appearance among men — running greedily 
after gain, though perhaps derived from small earnings 
or penurious savings — or that they are adorning their 
houses and children with finery and costly things; 
their infant minds will soon imbibe similar views and 
feelings, and be estranged from the simplicity of the 
cross of Christ, and the love of their Redeemer. 

In the ordering of divine providence, great influence 
is attached to the parental relation ; and where its du- 
ties are faithfully performed in the fear and counsel of 
the Lord, restraining in the holy authority which he 
gives, as well as admonishing and persuading them in 
his love — we believe the declaration will be verified, 
" train up a child in the way he should go, and when 
he is old, he will not depart from it." 

Although we have always believed, that the first- 
'*8 



78 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OF 

day of the week is not the Christian sabbath, (that 
being a state of spiritual rest to the soul) and that 
there is no inherent hoHness in it above any other day, it 
being our duty to keep every day holy unto the Lord, — 
and that agreeably to the saying of the apostle, no 
man is to judge us in respect of an holy day, or of 
the sabbath days, which are a shadow of things to 
come; yet we have ever been concerned to enjoin 
upon all our members, the due observance of that 
day, as a season of rest from all unnecessary labour, 
and of religious retirement and meditation. 

We w4sh renewedly to impress upon parents, the 
importance of having their families collected during 
that part of first-day which is not appropriated to 
public worship, that they may be kept from unprofit- 
able company, from idly rambhng abroad, or needless 
visiting; and pass the time in suitable religious read- 
ing or other serious employment; that thus they may 
not only reap the benefit of setting apart one day in 
the week, more particularly for religious purposes, but 
that our example as a religious Society may be such 
as becomes a people professing godliness. 

We feel a fear, lest there are some parents who are 
so bound to their worldly interest, as to have little con- 
cern for their offspring, neglecting both their literary 
and religious education; and others, who are in a 
state of lukewarmness respecting the everlasting well- 
being of their interesting charge; and from an unwil- 
lingness to cross their inclinations and exercise a 
salutary restraint, are suffering them to indulge in 
many hurtful things, and to wander from the path of 
self-denial. 

Great must be the condemnation of such parents, in 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 79 

a day to come, if they persist in such courses. Instead 
of *' their children rising up and calUng them blessed," 
it may be sorrowfully the case, that the sins of the 
children will be in some measure chargeable upon the 
neglect of the parents, and not only be visited upon 
them by bitterness and anguish in this life, but add to 
their guilt in that which will never have an end. 

O then, look to yourselves, we beseech you, and 
discharge your trust for God, and for the good of their 
souls, — exhorting in meekness, and commanding in 
wisdom ; that so you may minister and reach to the 
witness, and help them over their temptations in the 
authority of the Lord's power; and w^hen they feel 
themselves helped and delivered, their souls will bless 
God on your behalf, and you will reap the comfort of 
your labour. 

We feel a fervent exercise on behalf of the visited 
children of our heavenly Father, in w^hose view the 
glory of this world has been stained, and their spiritual 
eyes anointed to see the transcendent beauty and ex- 
cellency of the pure unchangeable truth. We appre- 
hend these are often discouraged, in beholding the 
declension from ancient zeal and uprightness ; and 
that unless they are watchful, and singly attentive to 
their heavenly Counsellor, they may be induced to set- 
tle down at ease, short of the attainment of that entire 
redemption and sanctification, which is held up as the 
mark for the Christian to aim at. Lean not, we be- 
seech you, upon the arm of flesh, in yourselves, or 
even in the most favoured of the Lord's instruments, 
but let your dependence be upon God alone. In this 
day of unsettlement and shaking, there are many 
voices to be heard which are not in unison with the 



80 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OF 

voice of Christ Jesus, our holy Shepherd ; and your 
safety will very much depend upon maintaining, 
through divine assistance, a state of inward retire- 
ment and stillness of mind ; that so you may be fa- 
voured to distinguish his voice from that of the stran- 
ger ; and reverently to wait on Him for the unfoldings 
of his blessed will concerning you. 

In this state of patient waiting for Christ, and child- 
like obedience to His requirings, you will be safely 
led forward in your Christian course, step by step, as 
He sees you are able to bear it; your experience and 
knowledge in divine things will be gradually enlarged 
by Him; you will be preserved from falling into errors 
m faith or practice; and from running before your 
guide, and engaging in things, which, however laud- 
able in themselves, are not the work in which He 
designs you should be employed. 

As you thus rely in simple faith upon Him and His 
teaching, following whithersoever He leads, — but not 
daring to move without His putting forth, He will not 
fail, in His own time and way, clearly to open before 
you the path of allotted service, and to give you wis- 
dom and strength faithfully to walk therein. He will 
baptize you again and again, with the baptism of His 
own Spirit, in order that the vessel may be sanctified 
and kept clean for the reception and occupancy of 
the gifts which He may see meet to bestow upon you, 
for the edification of His church; and as you diligently 
employ these in His fear, and to His glory, depending 
upon the strength which comes from Him, you will, 
through His mercy, be numbered among those, who, 
"having served their generation by the will of God," 
shall receive " the end of their faith, even the salvation 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 81 

of their souls," and hear the consoUng language, 
"Well done, good and faithful servant, — enter thou 
into the joy of thy Lord." 



In presenting these important subjects at this time 
to the serious and weighty attention of our beloved 
Friends, we would affectionately and earnestly exhort 
all to let them have due place in their minds, and to 
be steadfast and unmoveable in the faithful maintenance 
of all our doctrines and testimonies, always abounding 
in the work of the Lord, and scrupulously guarding 
against every thing which would tend to weaken their 
attachment to our holy profession. 

In connexion with this subject, we believe it right 
to spread a caution against the indiscriminate reading 
of books, which purport to be of a religious charac- 
ter. Many of these contain much that is inconsistent 
with our Christian principles and testimonies, — and 
though interspersed with other matter, which is 
sound and instructive, yet this is rather calculated to 
render such works more injurious, serving as a cover 
for erroneous opinions, and thus more easily insinuat- 
ing them into the mind. That the course of reading 
pursued by individuals, has a direct and powerful ten- 
dency to mould their religious sentiments and prac- 
tices, is a truth abundantly confirmed by observation. 
It has also been found, in the experience of many, that 
the frequent and familiar perusal of treatises and forms 
of expression in reference to religious topics, which 
are not in accordance with our views of the spiritual- 
ity and purity of the gospel — and of modes of defin- 
ing and explaining doctrines, which differ from the 
simple and scriptural methods used by the Society 
although they may at first strike us unpleasantly an 



83 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY OF 

as being objectionable, yet by frequent repetition and 
dwelling upon them, this feeling is lost; the mind is 
gradually led to look upon them as matters of indif- 
ference, or of very little moment, and thus by degrees 
imperceptible perhaps to its clouded vision, the w^ay 
is prepared for its departure from a full belief and ac- 
knowledgment of the Truth as it is in Jesus. 

We believe, that in this way, many sincere and 
seeking minds, who have been sensible of the day of 
the Lord's merciful visitation, and measurably yielded 
thereto, have lost their strength, become involved 
in doubt and perplexity, — and for want of keeping 
singly to the unfoldings of the hght of Christ, " bUnd- 
ness in part hath happened unto them ;" so that after 
having begun in the Spirit, and run well for a time, 
they have turned, as it were, to the beggarly elements, 
and sought to be made perfect by the works of the 
flesh. Thus, the unsanctified activity of the natural 
mind getting up, they have grown weary of the path 
of self-denial and the daily cross, and of " the patient 
waiting for Christ," — have marred the work of re- 
generation in their own hearts, and eventually thrown 
off their religious profession. 

Next to the Holy Scriptures, we would recommend 
all to read frequently in the writings of our worthy 
predecessors. In them may be found clear and en- 
larged views of Christian doctrine and practice, given 
forth by men who were subject to the divine govern- 
ment in themselves; and having tasted of the good 
word of Hfe, and the powers of the world to come, 
could testify from living experience, to the blessed 
efficacy and truth of the principles they professed. 
They furnish us also with hvely and instructive ex- 



THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 83 

amples of love to God and faith in Christ ; of zeal 
and devotedness to his cause — of patient, unwearied 
labours, and the meek endurance of privations, re- 
proach, derision, and cruel persecution, even unto 
death, for the spread of the kingdom of their dear 
Redeemer, and the testimony of a good conscience ; 
and as a convincing evidence of the reahty of their 
religion, a fulness of peace and joy, and a w^ell- 
grounded hope of immortality and eternal life, when 
brought upon the bed of sickness and of death. Let 
us, then, be conversant with the^ writings of these 
devoted servants of Christ, and endeavour, through di- 
vine assistance, to follow in their footsteps, and main- 
tain the same faith ; that so, in the end, we may reap 
the same blessed and everlastingly glorious reward. 

May all carefully avoid a disputatious spirit, that 
would be cavilling about niceties of doctrine, and 
questions which gender strife and contention, — seeking 
to be wise above what is written in the Holy Scrip- 
tures, — and to reason and argue about those things, 
which Divine Providence has not seen meet to reveal 
to us. And let all beware of resting in a bare ac- 
knowledgment, even of the most sound and consistent 
principles; ever remembering, that a profession of the 
Truth will add to our condemnation, if we are not 
endeavouring to live in conformity with it. It is only 
as w^e bow to the visitations of divine love, in mercy 
extended to our souls, and submit to the heart-chang- 
ing and sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, that 
we can show forth in our life and conversation, the 
blessed effects of the doctrines we profess, even the 
fruits of the Spirit, which are declared to be "love, 
joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 



84 THE ANCIENT TESTIMONY, &C. 

meekness and temperance." Without these, the most 
correct belief will be " but as sounding brass and a 
tinkhng cymbal." Our blessed Lord has solemnly 
declared, " Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, 
Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he 
that doeth the w^ill of my Father w^hich is in heaven." 
And as we make a high profession of the inward work 
of the Spirit of Truth, in redeeming the soul from 
every sinful lust and inordinate affection ; separating 
it from an undue attachment to the things of time and 
sense, and fixing its hopes on those enduring treasures 
which are laid up in heaven for the righteous, — so if 
we fail to show forth these, its certain and happy 
effects, in our daily walk among men, — we shall not 
only baulk our holy profession, but bring upon our- 
selves greater condemnation, than those whose eyes 
have not been anointed to see so fully into the nature 
of the religion of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 
May we then, dear Friends, under a solemn sense of 
our great responsibility as His professed followers, be 
incited to a jealous watchfulness over ourselves, and 
a holy fear lest we fall short of the mark for the prize 
of our high calling, which is no less than Christian 
perfection; that, daily seeking to the Lqrd for strength 
and wisdom, we may be enabled to overcome the 
wicked one, — ^and doing the will of God from the 
heart, we may, through His adorable mercy, experi- 
ence preservation from the evils which abound in the 
world, and be prepared to stand with acceptance be- 
fore the Son of Man. 

Signed by direction and on behalf of the Yearly Meeting 
aforesaid. 

WILLIAM EVANS, Clerk this year. 



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